Twenty One Pilots have recently filed a lawsuit against the Chinese e-commerce behemoth Temu in U.S. federal court. The band accused Temu of copyright infringement, unfair competition, and misappropriation of likeness.

In the lawsuit, Twenty One Pilots—Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun—claimed that Temu sold a “myriad of items that are counterfeit or blatant copies” of their official merch. Using copies of their intellectual property creates an “implied relationship” between the band and the company. They noted that this creates “unfair competition” and devalues the band’s image and brand.

The suit provided pages of evidence showing counterfeit merch on Temu, according to a report from Billboard. One example compared an official Twenty One Pilots t-shirt for $35 with the exact same product on Temu for $7.54.

A Temu spokesperson provided a public statement addressing the suit. “Temu respects the intellectual property rights of others and takes all infringement claims seriously,” they said. “While we uphold this commitment, we will vigorously defend ourselves against unfounded allegations.”

Twenty One pilots file lawsuit highlighting temu’s history of unethical practices

Temu has a long history of alleged unethical practices. These range from its suspiciously low prices, to stealing intellectual property and original designs from artists, to quality control on par with Shein. Its mass-production and low prices have led to overconsumption, wastefulness, and the perpetuation of fast fashion.

“Temu is widely understood to be one of the most unethical companies operating in today’s global marketplace,” Twenty One Pilots’ lawyers stated in the suit. “Its business practices are believed to pose great threats to individuals, marketplaces, and the environment.”

The band is working with the same lawyers that brought a case against Temu on behalf of MF Doom’s estate. In August, a legal team led by Jeff Gluck filed seven claims in federal and California courts. They cited copyright infringement, misappropriation of likeness, and more.

Cases against Temu have been common in the U.S. Nebraska claimed that the app “operates as malware.” Elsewhere, Arkansas claimed it as a “data-theft business” run by former Chinese Communist Party officials.

These claims used in the Twenty One Pilots lawsuit serve as further evidence of unethical practices. Meanwhile, the band is also claiming that Temu is “endorsing homophobia, inciting violence, and violent criminal gang activity” with their products.

Twenty One Pilots is seeking a permanent injunction barring Temu and other e-commerce sites from manufacturing and selling these products. They are also asking for a recall of infringing products, as well as damages up to $2,000,000 per counterfeit mark.

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