3 Count: Isn’t it Ironic?

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1: Shein Sues Temu Over Copyright Infringement, Alleges Rival Loses Money on Every Sale

First off today, Gabrielle Fonrouge at CNBC reports that the fast-fashion company Shein has filed a lawsuit against rival site Temu alleging copyright, trademark and trade secret infringement.

The lawsuit alleges that Temu encourages its retailers to steal designs and products from other companies, including Shein, to publish in its marketplace. It also alleges that Temu is subsidizing sales illegally to take market share from Shein.

The lawsuit comes as Shein itself is facing several similar lawsuits over the same behavior. Brands such as Levi Strauss and H&M have sued the company over alleged copyright and trademark infringements. In this latest case, Shein seeks a court order prohibiting Temu from using Shein’s confidential information and barring future infringement.

2: Bypass Paywalls Clean Shut Down For DMCA Anti-Circumvention Violations

Next up today, Andy Maxwell at Torrentfreak writes that the browser extension Bypass Paywalls Clean (BPC) has been removed from GitHub following a copyright notice filed by News Media Alliance.

New Media Alliance represents some 2,200 news publishers. They alleged that BPC violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) anti-circumvention provisions. Those provisions bar the use or distribution of tools that aim to circumvent copyright protections.

The extension previously operated on GitLab but was removed due to a similar copyright notice. However, GitHub pushed back against the claim and demanded more information. Ultimately, it agreed that the anti-circumvention claims were valid and that the repositories should be removed. This is expected to be a significant challenge for the extension, which requires regular updates to continue working.

3: Judge Tosses George Santos’ Copyright Suit Over Jimmy Kimmel Prank Videos

Finally today, Josh Russell at Courthouse News Service reports that a judge has dismissed a copyright lawsuit filed by expelled Representative George Santos against the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023. Soon after, he opened an account on Cameo, allowing users to pay for personalized videos. Kimmel used a Cameo to get Santos to perform outrageous requests, and he then played clips from his show.

This prompted Santos to file a copyright infringement lawsuit. However, the judge ruled it was protected under fair use and dismissed the case. The ruling occurred just hours before Santos pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges.

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