Shein opened a two-week copyright trial against Temu at London’s High Court on Monday, May 11, alleging its ultra-fast fashion rival copied roughly 2,300 product photographs to market identical or near-identical garments. The Shein Temu UK copyright lawsuit 2026 is the first major legal dispute between the two platforms anywhere in the world to reach a full trial.
Shein’s lead counsel Benet Brandreth opened with what he described as “an attempt to steal a march on an existing participant in the market.” He told the court that Temu has already dropped its defense to the 2,300-photo claims, a concession he compared to “the defendant waiting to see if the witnesses will turn up, only to plead guilty.”
Trial Opens at London High Court, May 11
The trial began Monday in the Business and Property Courts division of the High Court and is scheduled to run for two weeks. The case centers on UK copyright law as it applies to product photography. It does not concern garment design, an important legal distinction that narrows the dispute to the images themselves rather than the clothes pictured in them.
Prior to trial, Shein had already obtained a court injunction forcing Temu to remove thousands of listings from its UK platform. Brandreth said the alleged copying occurred on an “industrial scale.”
What Shein Alleges
Shein claims Temu used images photographed by Shein employees to advertise identical or similar garments on its marketplace. The Singapore-headquartered company characterized the conduct as “piggy-backing” on its investment in product photography, supply-chain development and supplier training.
The retailer is seeking damages, a permanent injunction and an account of profits attributable to the contested listings. Brandreth told the court that Temu’s late concession on the photo claims does not absolve the platform of liability, only narrows what the court must decide.
Temu’s Defense and Countersuit
Temu denies wrongdoing on the broader allegations and contends its merchants had authorization to use the contested images. Its countersuit alleges Shein uses copyright litigation as a competitive weapon rather than as genuine intellectual property enforcement.
Temu also alleges Shein breached UK competition law by tying Chinese fast-fashion suppliers to exclusive supply agreements, an allegation that echoes broader patterns of fashion brands under antitrust scrutiny. Those competition law claims are scheduled for a separate trial in 2027 and could prove more consequential than the current copyright proceeding. Temu is seeking damages for lost revenue from the listing removals.
A Global Legal War Between Fast Fashion Rivals
The London case is one front in a multi-jurisdictional legal war. Both companies have filed dueling lawsuits in the United States. In April 2026, a Washington D.C. federal judge consolidated the proceedings. The US claims include DMCA abuse, copyright infringement, unfair competition and platform misconduct.
The UK trial is the first to reach the full evidentiary phase. Industry attorneys watching the case say its outcome could set precedent for product photography copyright enforcement across e-commerce platforms globally.
Regulatory Pressure Mounts on Both Brands
The trial unfolds against intensifying regulatory pressure. The United States ended its de minimis exemption for low-value packages, which now face a 54% duty or a $100 flat fee. Consumer spending on Temu has fallen approximately 36% year-over-year and Shein has dropped about 13% YoY since the tariff changes took effect, according to industry data.
The European Union is abolishing the €150 de minimis customs exemption, with a planned two-euro flat fee on low-value parcels (see EU customs exemption changes). The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive requires member-state integration by July 2026, adding compliance costs. Meanwhile, France’s anti-fast fashion law stalled at the EU level after European Commission objections.
Both platforms also face April 2026 US class-action suits alleging inflated pricing tied to Trump tariff claims, part of a broader wave of fashion brands facing class-action litigation. The cases sit alongside US tariff rulings affecting fashion imports and regulatory investigations targeting fashion brands across the sector.
What This Means for the Fast Fashion Market
A ruling in Shein’s favor could establish stronger product-photography copyright enforcement standards across e-commerce platforms, particularly for image-driven marketplaces. The 2027 supplier-exclusivity proceeding may reshape supplier relationships across the Chinese ultra-fast fashion sector. Combined regulatory and legal costs could weigh on both platforms’ Western growth trajectories.
Western fashion brands are watching closely. The dispute sits within a broader picture in which counterfeiting remains a major challenge for fashion brands and supply chain scrutiny in fashion continues to widen. The verdict will land alongside broader fashion industry accountability reporting.
The trial is expected to conclude later this month. A written judgment is likely to follow within several months. FloraDress will update this report as the proceedings develop.
