Shein Faces New Infringement Accusations

Fast fashion giant, Shein, being accused of copyright infringement is not a new story. But this is the first time that the accusations have come from another giant of the industry.

Just off the back of the news that Shein is facing a lawsuit in the US for racketeering due to copying the work of numerous independent designers, the company are now also coming under fire in Hong Kong where they are facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from well-known high street name H&M.

Where the racketeering case relates to the copying of artwork which unambiguously sits under copyright protection, the H&M case allegedly relates to garments such as swimwear and sweaters. Whether copyright is applicable to such garments is a question with a different answer depending on the relevant jurisdiction. In Hong Kong it seems that the court have allowed the case to proceed following a first hearing. However, had the case been in the UK, garments such as swimwear and sweaters may not be