Fashion Company Shein Accused of Copyright Infringement

When it comes to fashion, companies want to know what’s trendy. They may do research about what types of clothes people are buying and wearing. Some companies may even engage in copyright infringement in order to find out the latest fashions.

This is what fashion company Shein has been accused of doing. The e-commerce company is now facing a class action lawsuit for its supposed crimes.

A complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York on April 5 by artist Alan Giana. He is accusing Shein of using electronic monitoring and artificial intelligence to track what consumers look at online. Shein allegedly uses social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, to identify popular trends and designs. The electronic monitoring would affect creators publishing their designs online looking for exposure. If an artist’s post garners more online attention from users, it becomes a greater target for Shein’s data scraping to  mass-produce designs.

Shein is a fast-fashion company founded in China in 2008. The company is able to turn around products in a matter of days, selling them on an online marketplace with 600,000 listed items at a time. Because of this ability to mass produce, the lawsuit is claiming that Shein does not create many of its products and cannot possibly design thousands daily. Instead, it uses sophisticated electronic systems that use algorithms to search the internet for popular designs created by artists, according to the lawsuit.

This isn’t the first time Shein has encountered legal issues for copying designs. The company has been hit with dozens of lawsuits alleging copyright infringement. In July 2023, three graphic designers in China sued Shein for copyright infringement. They claim Shein used “secretive algorithms” to identify online trends and then copy artists’ designs. The company’s history of copyright infringement was so bad that it amounted to racketeering.

Shein is being accused of using incredibly sophisticated and brazen techniques. It’s shocking that they’ve been able to get away with it. On top of the copyright infringement, Shein’s practices allow the company to sell products at a fraction of the price of its competitors and grow astronomically in just several years. In 2023, the company brought in $30 billion in revenue. The year before, it saw revenue of $23 billion.

Learn More About Copyright Infringement

Stealing ideas has been happening forever, but it’s frowned upon in the business world. There is already a lot of competition to deal with, and while it’s easier than ever to engage in copyright infringement, it is immoral and illegal.

Has your company been a victim? If so, contact an Orlando trademark & copyright lawyer B.F. Godfrey from Godfrey Legal. Our team has extensive experience and knowledge in the realm of intellectual property law and can provide effective and efficient representation when you feel your work has been used inappropriately or without your permission. To schedule a consultation with our office, call (407) 890-0023 or fill out the online form.

Source:

finance.yahoo.com/news/fashion-giant-shein-slapped-yet-180220345.html