On-line fast-fashion platforms Shein and Temu are gearing up for a 2026 trial at London’s Excessive Courtroom, with the rivals buying and selling allegations of copyright infringement and anti-competitive behaviour in competing lawsuits.
Shein sued Temu in Britain final yr, accusing Whaleco UK Restricted — whose final dad or mum is Temu’s proprietor PDD Holdings — of breach of copyright in relation to pictures of some merchandise out there on the Temu platform.
Temu hit again with a counterclaim in February, accusing Shein of breaking British competitors regulation by tying suppliers of fast-fashion merchandise to unique agreements, a declare it values at £4.2 million ($5.5 million) and which Shein denies.
Temu’s legal professionals mentioned in courtroom paperwork for a preliminary listening to on Tuesday that Shein is “flooding Temu with unwarranted notices of copyright infringement, disrupting the sale of merchandise”.
Their instances at London’s Excessive Courtroom are anticipated to come back to trial in direction of the top of 2026, Shein’s legal professionals mentioned in courtroom paperwork.
The London lawsuit is one leg of a world authorized battle between the 2 rivals. Temu sued Shein within the US in December, with Shein submitting its personal case in opposition to Temu in August.
Each Shein and Temu have quickly expanded in worldwide markets with low-cost clothes, equipment and devices, although they’ve come beneath elevated scrutiny.
Shein has confronted questions over its therapy of staff and environmental document, significantly forward of a possible London itemizing. It has beforehand mentioned it’s dedicated to respecting human rights and has a zero-tolerance coverage for compelled labour.
Temu, in the meantime, is dealing with an investigation from the European Fee over whether or not it could have breached guidelines geared toward stopping the sale of unlawful merchandise. Temu has mentioned it can cooperate with regulators.
