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Fast fashion retailer SHEIN has been named in a lawsuit Tuesday, claiming that the brand has been doing some pretty shady business.
As reported by The Fashion Law (and obtained by Complex), independent designers Krista Perry, Larissa Martinez, and Jay Baron accuse SHEIN of “produc[ing], distribut[ing’ and sell[ing] exact copies of their creative works” as part of its ‘design’ process and organizational DNA.
The suit claims SHEIN uses a secret algorithm meant to identify growing fashion trends and “purposely produces a small amount of an allegedly stolen item in the event of an infringement allegation.” SHEIN is then able to quickly resolve the matter if it’s accused of stealing a design.
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“When Shein copies a small or independent designer, the most likely outcome (without brand protection specialists and specialized software on the lookout) is that the infringement will go unnoticed,” the complaint reads.
The plaintiffs went on to claim that SHEIN relies heavily on independent businesses, only to put the blame entirely on them in the event of a cease and desist or lawsuit.
The suit claims that SHEIN knowingly committed copyright infringement and “played its role with full knowledge of the overarching criminal copyright infringement it participates in.” Hence, the RICO claim.
Read more about the lawsuit here.
Fashion Retailer SHEIN Named In RICO Lawsuit was originally published on hiphopnc.com
