H&M sues rival Shein over copyright infringement
Retail giant Hennes & Mauritz has sued its fast-growing rival Shein in a Hong Kong court for copyright infringement, the Swedish fashion juggernaut said Tuesday. Shein, founded in China in 2008, has swiftly claimed a top place in the global fast-fashion marketplace, offering low-priced collections attractive to young social media-savvy customers. H&M confirmed on Tuesday […]
Retail giant Hennes & Mauritz has sued its fast-growing rival Shein in a Hong Kong court for copyright infringement, the Swedish fashion juggernaut said Tuesday.
Shein, founded in China in 2008, has swiftly claimed a top place in the global fast-fashion marketplace, offering low-priced collections attractive to young social media-savvy customers.
H&M confirmed on Tuesday it had opened a lawsuit against Shein and Zoetop Business, a Hong Kong-based company affiliated with the online retailer.
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“We have an ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit towards Shein filed in Hong Kong,” a H&M spokesperson said.
“We believe that Shein in multiple cases has infringed on our designs.”
SHEIN PRODUCTS ‘MUST HAVE BEEN COPIED’
According to a Hong Kong court document, H&M had pointed to “the striking resemblance between the products showing they must have been copied” and the “sheer scale of (Shein’s) unauthorised substantial reproduction of the copyright works”.
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A representative for Shein, which is now based in Singapore, said by email the company does not comment on pending litigation.
Copyright infringement lawsuits are common in the fast-fashion world but it is often smaller, independent designers lodging complaints against giant retailers, making H&M’s suit unusual.
The Swedish high-street brand is among the world’s most recognisable and has for years jousted with Spain’s Inditex — Zara’s owner — for the top spot.
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‘CONTINUOUS PATTERN OF RACKETEERING’
But Shein’s rapid rise from a brand favoured by TikTok influencers to a global household name for Gen-Z — with a reported growth of $16 billion in 2021 — has tipped the scales, placing it on H&M’s heels.
Its cut-price merchandise and relentless expansion have also brought allegations from critics of forced labour and human rights abuses.
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Three independent designers in the United States filed lawsuits against Shein this month, alleging that it has “grown rich by committing individual infringements… as part of a long and continuous pattern of racketeering”.
Shein has also not commented on those accusations.