WAR OF THE BLOUSES

H&M Sues Fast-Fashion Rival Shein for Copyright Infringement

The clothing giant has accused its rival of copying its designs in a Hong Kong lawsuit.

H&M is purse-shoe-ing legal action against Shein, with the Swedish retail juggernaut filing a copyright infringement lawsuit against its Chinese rival in a Hong Kong court. A spokesperson for H&M confirmed the lawsuit on Tuesday, saying that they “believe that Shein in multiple cases has infringed on our designs.” Shein declined to comment on the pending litigation to Bloomberg News, which first reported the filing. Court documents filed in Hong Kong include attached photos of both Shein and H&M garments, with attorneys pointing to “the striking resemblance between the products showing they must have been copied.” The suit hits Shein less than two weeks after it was accused of stealing independent artist’s designs in a federal racketeering lawsuit. Three designers said they were “surprised” and “outraged” to find the e-commerce site was selling “truly exact copies” of their works. “Shein has grown rich by committing individual infringements over and over again,” their suit alleged.