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Uniqlo just lately hit Shein with a lawsuit over the fast-fashion firm promoting dupes of its viral shoulder bag.
On 28 December, Uniqlo filed paperwork within the Tokyo District Court in Japan, in response to a assertion from Uniqlo’s mother or father firm, Fast Retailing. In the submitting, Uniqlo accuses Shein of creating overt copies of its Round Mini Shoulder Bag, which has grow to be a viral success on TikTok. The firm requested that the Chinese retailer’s operators – Roadget Business Pte, Fashion Choice Pte and Shein Japan – instantly stop all manufacturing of the “imitation products” and compensate the retailer for damages.
Uniqlo known as for the “immediate cessation of sales of the imitation products, and compensation for damages incurred by the Company as a result of these sales”.
In one other assertion, the mother or father firm added that an imitation product “significantly undermines the high level of customer confidence in the quality of the Uniqlo brand and its products”.
On the lawsuit, a Shein spokesperson instructed CNN that the corporate was “currently investigating this matter”. They added: “Shein respects the intellectual property rights of others and takes all claims of infringement seriously.”
The sensible, crescent-shaped purse – which has been lauded for its androgynous look – was featured on Lyst’s Year of Fashion report in 2023. It’s additionally notably reasonably priced, offered at simply $19.90 within the US. Part of its reputation could be credited to TikTok, which led the bag to go viral and promote out a number of occasions all through 2022 and 2023. From styling tricks to “what’s in my bag” movies, movies starring the bag have been garnering hundreds of thousands of views on the platform, with the hashtag #uniqlobag receiving greater than 133.2mil views as of 17 January.
Fast Retailer cited the shoulder bag for sparking “considerable interest on social media” and increasing its attain amongst feminine and youthful demographics, in response to an investor report from the third quarter of 2023.
But because the bag reached new heights of reputation because of social media, Fast Retailing warned customers of counterfeit variations. It mentioned in a assertion: “We are considering legal action against the companies that manufacture and sell the products.”
This isn’t the primary time Shein has come underneath hearth for copying the designs of different corporations. Chrome Hearts sued the fast-fashion retailer in August 2023, alleging that the corporate was responsible of trademark infringement and unfair competitors after it reportedly copied one of the posh model’s cross designs.
In December 2023, fellow Chinese fast-fashion model Temu sued Shein, claiming that the corporate used aggressive and illegal “mafia-style” ways to undermine the competitors. The corporations reportedly have but to succeed in a decision.
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