H&M has filed a lawsuit against Shein for copyright infringement, according to court documents filed in Hong Kong.

The Swedish fashion giant is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction to stop the Chinese fast fashion rival from infringing on its copyrighted designs.

The summons dates back to July 2021, which H&M confirmed, with the next hearing set to take place on 31 July.

According to Bloomberg, the filing included photos of H&M items, such as swimwear and sweaters, as “evidence” that Shein had stolen its designs.

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In a statement, an H&M spokesperson told the outlet that the Chinese-owned business, “in multiple cases has infringed on our designs”.

The news comes just days after Shein was hit with a RICO lawsuit after independent designers accused it of infringement-related racketeering activities.

“The brand has made billions by creating a secretive algorithm that astonishingly determines nascent fashion trends – and by coupling it with a corporate structure, including production and fulfillment schemes, that are perfectly executed to grease the wheels of the algorithm, including its unsavory and illegal aspects,” claimed artists Krista Perry, Larissa Martinez, and Jay Baron.

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