Shein has taken rival fast-fashion platform Temu to London's High Court, accusing it of copyright infringement “on an industrial scale” over the unauthorised use of product photographs.

Temu allegedly reproduced thousands of its competitor's images to promote imitation Shein-branded items on its platform, in what Shein described as an attempt to "piggy-back" on a more established competitor.

According to a report on Reuters, Temu has denied the claims, with its lawyers contending the action is not a genuine intellectual property dispute but a tactical move to undermine a competitor.

Appearing for Shein, barrister Benet Brandreth told the court that Temu had abandoned its defence against copyright claims relating to almost 2,300 photographs taken by Shein staff.

The two-week trial is the most recent development in a broader legal confrontation between the two companies, which have separately pursued claims against each other in the US.

The proceedings come as regulators in multiple jurisdictions increase scrutiny of low-cost e-commerce operators.

Temu has lodged a counterclaim seeking financial redress following the removal of a large number of product listings under a court injunction obtained by Shein.

It has also claimed that Shein broke competition law by binding fast-fashion suppliers to exclusivity arrangements – a matter set to be heard at a separate trial next year.

Both platforms have grown swiftly by offering cut-price clothing, accessories and consumer goods to international shoppers.

That expansion, however, faces headwinds: the US withdrew a customs exemption on low-value parcels last year, and the European Union is expected to introduce a comparable measure in July.

Separately, Ireland's Data Protection Commission has opened an inquiry this month into Shein's handling of European users' personal data, specifically its transfer to China.

The investigation targets Infinite Styles Services – Shein’s Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters in Dublin – and has been launched under Section 110 of the Data Protection Act 2018.