In early November, it was reported that the two Chinese overseas e-commerce rivals, Shein and Temu, are preparing to go to trial at London’s High Court in late 2026. The two platforms both accuse each other of copyright infringement and anti-competitive behaviour.
In 2023, Shein filed its first lawsuit against Temu in the UK. The ultra-fast fashion company sued Whaleco UK Limited, another subsidised company by Temu’s parent group PDD Holdings, for breaching the copyright of product photos on the Temu platform.
In February this year, Temu countered the lawsuit by accusing Shein of breaching competition laws in the UK by using exclusive agreements to tie suppliers to the platform. Shein denies the 4.2 million GBP (5.46 million USD)-worth claim. Temu, through its lawyers, also accuses Shein of “flooding Temu with unwarranted notices of copyright infringement, disrupting the sale of products.”
This is only one part of the two platforms’ legal battle across the globe. In the US, Temu first sued Shein last December before Shein filed its own lawsuits this August. The claims are similar to the UK case with Shein accusing Temu of using product images copyrighted by Shein on their platform and causing confusion among consumers.
But these are not the only legal problems facing the rivals. Shein has been questioned over its labour conditions and environmental practices as it prepares to go public in London. Temu, on the other hand, faces investigation by the European Commission for the possibility of breaching rules about illegal products on the platform.
Temu has been fiercely competing with its fellow low-priced platforms in the global market. Despite only launching in 2022, Temu’s gross merchandising value (GMV) reached 16.4 billion USD in 2023, while Shein was close to 45 billion USD. With other platforms, including JD.com, “going overseas” steadily, both platforms are trying to secure their market share. However, Shein has also been reported to have given up on directly competing with Temu to focus on fast fashion.
