Shein loses UK copyright case against Temu

Shein lost a UK copyright lawsuit against Temu after accusing the Chinese e-commerce platform of breaching copyright on photographs of clothing, the High Court in London ruled Thursday.

The case concerned product listings on Temu's UK website by third-party sellers using photos taken by Shein employees and images supplied by agencies and suppliers.

Judge Kelyn Bacon ruled that “Temu did not know or have reason to believe that the photographs infringed Shein's copyright.”

Shein said its ownership of the thousands of photographs at the centre of the case was not disputed. It said Temu escaped liability because the servers supporting its UK website are in Ireland.

Temu did not immediately respond to AFP. The High Court also ruled that Temu may be entitled to compensation from Shein, with the possible amount to be decided later.