{
  "id": 8974443,
  "title": "Fast fashion copyright battle continues as Shein granted appeal against Temu",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/fast-fashion-copyright-battle-continues-as-shein-granted-appeal",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-21T17:35:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/fast-fashion-copyright-battle-continues-as-shein-granted-appeal-against-temu/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shein, a prominent fast fashion retailer, has been granted the opportunity to appeal a recent copyright ruling against its rival, Temu, in a landmark UK case. A judge recently affirmed Shein's right to contest a Court of Appeal decision made last month, marking the first instance in the UK where a court has had to deliberate on the application of copyright rules within online marketplaces. In 2023, Shein initiated legal proceedings at the High Court, demanding 2,559 photographs, alleging they were sourced from the company's own employees, freelancers, agencies, or suppliers, and had been displayed on Temu's platform without proper authorization. Temu countered that the images were examples of \"substantial scale infringements of its copyright,\" asserting the photographs were indicated as belonging to third-party sellers and were not presented as Temu's own work, thereby holding Temu accountable for copyright violations. However, Mrs. Justice Bacon ruled that Shein UK did not possess ownership rights over the employee photographs at the time the dispute commenced, as Guangzhou Shein, Shein's Chinese counterpart, was the employer of these individuals. The judge acknowledged Temu's financial loss due to the mandatory removal of thousands of product listings from its website following the legal correspondence. During the recent appeal hearing, Shein UK's legal team argued that the judge did not adequately examine whether Temu was indeed accountable for the presentation of photographs on its website. They emphasized that unlike user-generated videos on YouTube, Temu failed to clarify that the products were supplied by third-party sellers. In response, Charlotte May KC, representing Temu, maintained that Shein UK's arguments could have been presented during the initial trial and contended that the judge did not err in her judgment. The judge acknowledged Shein UK's potential for a successful appeal, citing the novelty of the case as a compelling reason for the Court of Appeal to consider the matter. Additionally, the judge mandated Shein UK to publish a notice on their supplier portal, notifying clients about the original judgment, to be prominently displayed or reposted weekly for six months. Both Shein and Temu were reached for comment.",
  "summary": "Fast fashion retailer Shein has been granted permission to appeal against rival Temu in a first-of-its-kind copyright battle in the UK. A judge confirmed in a hearing on Monday that Shein can challenge a judgement handed down last month in the Court of Appeal. The judge said there were “compelling reasons” for the court to [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}