Uniqlo sues Shein in Japan over alleged round mini shoulder bag knockoffs
Uniqlo filed a lawsuit against the Chinese fashion company Shein for allegedly copying the former's round mini shoulder bag.
The Japanese casual wear company is seeking for the selling of the "imitation products" to cease and compensation for damages incurred, a statement from Fast Retailing Co. on Jan. 16 read.
"The company filed this complaint because it has determined that the form of the imitation products sold by Shein closely resembles that of its own product," the statement read.
Uniqlo, a subsidiary of Fast Retailing Co., filed the said petition on Dec. 28 in the Tokyo District Court.
"The sale of the imitation products by Shein significantly undermines the high level of customer confidence in the quality of the Uniqlo brand and its products," the company added.
The round mini bag reportedly became Uniqlo's best-selling bag ever for 1,500 yen in Japan. It is massively identified as a crossbody pouch and was dubbed online as "Mary Poppins carryall." In the Philippines, it costs P790.00, according to its website.
In case you didn't know, Lyst, a UK-based fashion technology company and premium shopping app, has named Uniqlo's viral bag as the "hottest" fashion product of 2023. It's also the first ever cheapest product to have made it on the index.
Previously, Uniqlo warned consumers about counterfeits and similar products being sold online after the round mini bag became a global hit.
Besides the popular Japanese fashion brand, Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) also sued Shein for copyright infringement in Hong Kong in 2021.
Founded in 2008, Shein grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, it became one of the largest fast-fashion brands, beat out competitors H&M and Zara, and generated about $23 billion in that year.