American music duo Twenty One Pilots have filed a lawsuit against Chinese online retailer Temu, accusing the platform of marketing and selling counterfeit merchandise.
According to the complaint obtained by Rolling Stone, the band’s lawyers described Temu as a “veritable swamp of infringing and otherwise illegal products,” alleging that the company “manufactures and sells a myriad of items that are counterfeit or blatant copies” of the band’s artwork, trademarks, and intellectual property.
The filing includes screenshots of allegedly fake posters, shirts, mugs, and socks listed on Temu, with some items said to be identical to products currently available on Twenty One Pilots’ official website.
The lawsuit argues that the group’s trademarks have been “damaged and put at risk by Temu’s knowing and systematic marketing and sale of counterfeit versions,” calling the products “confusingly and/or virtually identical” to their own.
In a scathing opening, the complaint labels Temu as “one of the most unethical companies operating in today’s global marketplace.” It also references a recent lawsuit by the State of Nebraska accusing Temu of flooding the U.S. with cheap products while contributing to other alleged harms, including copyright violations.
