Shein Hit with Lawsuit from Competitor Oh Polly

The complaint, registered on the Intellectual Property list, accuses Shein of copyright and design right infringement. Oh Polly has enlisted the services of law firm Fieldfisher to represent them in this high-stakes legal battle, while Shein has turned to Harbottle & Lewis for its defense.

Michael Branney, managing director of Oh Polly and Bo&Tee, expressed his concerns over the alleged copying, stating, “We are very concerned about the sale via the Shein website of dozens of garments copying our original designs, with the sale of some of those dupes promoted with unlawful copies of our own photographs.” This lawsuit comes at a critical time for Shein, which is striving to file a large-scale IPO with the London Stock Exchange.

The move has divided politicians and industry professionals, many of whom cite Shein’s apparent lack of transparency and alleged supply chain missteps as core reasons to block the filing. In response to the allegations, Shein has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

On September 19, 2024, Shein issued a statement denying that its garments were “made out exactly or substantially to the relevant Oh Polly designs.” The company argued that the legal threats from…