Temu alleges Shein is using 'mafia-style intimidation' of suppliers to curtail its growth

Chinese e-commerce retailer Temu is suing rival Shein again, alleging its competitor is pushing dubious copyright infringement notices against the company and using “mafia-style intimidation” of suppliers to limit its growth in the U.S.  

In a 100-page complaint filed Wednesday at a federal court in Washington D.C., Whaleco Inc., which operates as Temu in the U.S., claimed that Shein has been summoning suppliers it believes to be working with Temu to its offices, detaining them for hours, seizing their phones and threatening to impose penalties for doing business with its rival.  

“We believe this lawsuit is without merit and we will vigorously defend ourselves,” a Shein spokesperson said in a statement.  

In the lawsuit, Temu alleges the actions were part of a “desperate plan” hatched by Shein to take out a competitive threat in the U.S. through various efforts, which include coercing thousands of suppliers to sign over their intellectual property rights and relying on those agreements to obtain copyright registrations in the U.S.