Giant fast-fashion Online, Shein has again filed a lawsuit against its competitor, Temu. Shein accuses the China-based shopping platform of stealing its designs, copying its product images, and engaging in other forms of fraud.
The lawsuit filed in Washington federal court this week alleges that Temu, which has been growing in popularity in the United States, has subsidized its low prices by encouraging sellers to offer counterfeit goods, stolen designs and substandard products.
The allegations come as Shein has been the target of lawsuits from brands and designers, who accuse the company of stealing their designs and selling counterfeit goods on the site. e-commerceher.
When asked for comment on the new lawsuit, a Temu spokesperson said in a written statement that Shein's “audacity is simply unbelievable.”
“Shein, which is burdened with numerous lawsuits over its own intellectual property, has the audacity to fabricate allegations against others for the very infringements they have repeatedly sued for,” the spokesperson said.
The new lawsuit against Temu is an escalation of an ongoing feud between the two companies, which have previously sued each other in US courts.
Meet, a platform owned by the company e-commerce China PDD Holdings, in a previous lawsuit, accused Shein of forcing clothing manufacturers to submit to unfair supply chain arrangements to prevent them from working with Temu.
Shein, which was founded in China but is now based in Singapore, accused Temu in court of engaging in deceptive business practices and misleading consumers by creating fake accounts on social media that used Shein's name but directed people to Temu's platform.
The companies dropped the lawsuit in October. Temu sued Shein again in December, accusing its rival of using “mafia-style intimidation” against suppliers to stifle its growth in the U.S.
Shein's attorneys wrote in their new complaint that at least one Temu employee stole “valuable trade secrets” from Shein identifying best-selling products and internal pricing information.
They also claim again that Temu falsely identified itself as Shein through a fake X account that directed customers to Temu's site. They further accuse Temu of engaging in similar practices through paid advertising on Google. (es/ft)
