L. A. Artist Sues Chinese Online Company for Copyright Infringement
● Artist Jennifer Stark said Shein copied her art designs for some clothing items.
A Los Angeles artist, known for her creations with intricate patterns and bright colors, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Shein, the multibillion-dollar Chinese-based online clothing company known for selling ultrainexpensive garments.
The lawsuit, filed by Jennifer Stark on Wednesday in U.S District Court against Shein Distribution Group in Los Angeles, maintains that the direct-to-consumer venture used several of her copyrighted designs in various garments including swimsuits, shirts and skirts.
The lawsuit notes that Stark is a renowned artist whose work has been seen in galleries and museums around the world. She has a mural at the Miami International Airport with one of her designs allegedly copied by Shein, court documents said.
“There is too much at stake for the artist community for me to just look the other way,” Stark said in an emailed statement. “We needed to take a stand. This has happened too many times, and we plan to put an end to it.”
Stark notes in her lawsuit that three of her designs — “Meltdown” created in 2014; “Drip Cascade” from 2015, and “Chromatic Cascade” from 2017 — are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office but still allegedly were copied by Shein.
“Jen and I felt it was necessary to bring this action not only to enforce her own rights, but to stand up for other artists and show everyone that you can, and should, fight back,” said Jeff Gluck, Stark's attorney.
In her lawsuit, Stark claims Shein's alleged use of her designs has harmed her business, and she is asking for an unspecified amount in damages as well as attorney fees.
As of Friday, Shein had not filed a response to the lawsuit. An email and phone call to the company's attorney, Morgan Pietz, were not immediately answered.
Even though Shein is headquartered in China, court documents said the lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles because Shein Distribution Group, located in a
Los Angeles warehouse district, is the organization selling Shein products online and via the company's app in the U.S.
This is not the first copyright infringement lawsuit filed in Los Angeles against Shein. A review of U.S. District Court records for the Central District of California shows that in the last three years there have been around 20 lawsuits registered against the megaclothing company.
In March, Stüssy, the streetwear company in Irvine, Calif., filed a lawsuit against Shein alleging the Chinese venture was selling shirts and shoes bearing its logo without permission. In images included in its lawsuit, Stüssy showed a black T-shirt with Stüssy printed on the front.
Earlier this month, Los Angeles-based EKB Textiles filed a lawsuit claiming that Shein had copied a flowery textile pattern that was copyrighted and sold by EKB. Other textile companies have claimed similar copyright infringements.
Chinese billionaire Chris Xu founded the company in 2008 in Nanjing, China, under the name Sheinside. In 2015, the name was changed to Shein. In the last 14 years, the online venture has grown exponentially with estimated revenues totaling $10 billion in 2020. It is backed by big-name investors such as Sequoia Capital China and General Atlantic.
Its fast-fashion products are very popular because they are extremely inexpensive. The company works with a vast network of clothing contractors to get cut-rate prices. For example, a floral maxidress for sale online has a $12 price tag, a long-sleeve cardigan is selling for $22 and high-waisted cargo jeans are going for $26. Shipping is only $3.99 but free with orders over $49.