Shein is sued again by H&M in Hong Kong court for alleged infringement

It is learned that on July 24, according to Bloomberg, H&M has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Shein according to court documents filed in Hong Kong. Although Shein has been subject to many infringement lawsuits in the past three years, few brands among the old fast fashion giants have initiated similar lawsuits.

It is reported that H&M has been suing Shein in Hong Kong since July 2021. In the lawsuit, H&M accused Shein of plagiarizing some of its product designs, demanded compensation for losses, and requested an injunction to prevent Shein from continuing to infringe its copyrights and trademarks.

Zoetop Business Co., the Hong Kong entity that owned Shein at the time, and Shein Group Ltd. were among the defendants, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg News. Details in the document show that H&M provided a series of evidence of Shein's infringement, including photos of dozens of products ranging from swimsuits to sweaters.

The copyright infringement case was first heard in a Hong Kong court last September, and the judge allowed the case to proceed, according to another document released in May. The most recent hearing was held at the Hong Kong High Court on June 21, with the next hearing scheduled for July 31.

An H&M spokesperson confirmed that H&M has filed a lawsuit against Shein in Hong Kong, claiming that it has infringed H&M designs in multiple cases. Shein declined to comment on pending litigation.

In 2021, Shein's sales were still far behind H&M, but with its aggressive social media marketing strategy and the support of a supply chain system that amazed the industry, its sales grew rapidly, reaching a valuation of $100 billion in 2022, making it a unicorn with a valuation second only to ByteDance and SpaceX.

This has also attracted the attention of major fast fashion giants and clothing designers around the world, and more infringement lawsuits have followed. This year alone, there have been more than a dozen lawsuits in the United States accusing Shein of intellectual property infringement. Some American lawyers have accused Shein of copyright infringement, which has become commonplace for Shein, and in the end, Shein has settled the matter with money.

Whether it is to safeguard one's own interests or to weaken the strength of opponents, legal means seem to have become a part of business competition.

Last year, Shein also filed a lawsuit against Temu in the United States, alleging trademark and copyright infringement, as well as "false and deceptive business practices." In July, Temu accused Shein of violating antitrust laws by using threats and intimidation to prevent clothing manufacturers from working with it.

The increasing number of lawsuits also reflects the fierce competition Shein faces. As it opens up its third-party platform model, its competitors will expand from fast fashion to e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Walmart, and it may face more legal disputes and even regulatory policies in the future.

Editor✎ Ashley/

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