Selena Quintanilla's Sister Files Shein Lawsuit Over Knockoff Merch

Singer Selena (Quintanilla) attends the 36th Annual Grammy Awards on March 1, 1994 in New York, New York at Radio City Music Hall. Larry Busacca/Getty Images Trending on Billboard Selena Quintanilla‘s sister, Suzette Quintanilla, is suing Chinese e-commerce company Shein over unlicensed merchandise bearing Selena’s name and likeness. In the lawsuit, filed on Wednesday (March 11) in U.S. District Court in California, Quintanilla accuses Shein — a Nanjing, China-based global e-commerce giant known for selling low-cost clothing and accessories — of manufacturing and selling “countless t-shirts and other merchandise” with Selena’s name, likeness and identity without permission or compensation. Related Twenty One Pilots Sues Temu Over Knockoff Merchandise: ‘Blatant Copies’ Bill Donahue According to the lawsuit, Quintanilla’s company, Q Productions, sent Shein a cease and desist in August, outlining its rights as the owner of the Selena trademarks. Despite that, Quintanilla alleges the company did not halt the sale of the Selena merchandise. “To date, Defendants continue to willfully and unlawfully exploit Plaintiffs’ Selena Marks and rights of publicity in commerce against the express demands by Plaintiffs to cease and desist such use,” wrote Quintanilla’s attorneys, Thomas K. Richards and Justin R. Trauben, in the suit. Quintanilla is suing Shein on multiple counts, including trademark infringement, unfair competition and publicity rights violations. She’s seeking damages and a court injunction that will force Shein to stop the production and sale of merchandise bearing the Selena trademarks. Shein did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment on the lawsuit. Wednesday’s lawsuit is just the latest instance of an e-commerce giant being sued for selling knockoff merchandise in recent months. Last September, Grammy award-winning duo Twenty One Pilots sued Temu, another Chinese e-commerce giant and Shein competitor, over the company’s alleged sale of “blatant copies” of the band’s official merch. The month prior, the estate of late rapper MF Doom sued Temu for the same reason, calling the company “unethical.” In December, the MF Doom lawsuit was thrown out by a judge who argued it was legally deficient because Temu wasn’t the manufacturer of the merch but rather a pass-through online marketplace for independent sellers. However, a federal judge allowed the estate to reinstate the lawsuit last month after it was revised. Daily newsletters straight to your inbox Sign Up Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * Email * Website Post Comment More From Pro Legal News Selena Quintanilla’s Sister Sues Shein Over Knockoff Merch Bearing Late Singer’s Likeness 2 minutes ago Annie Harrigan Legal News Katy Perry vs. Katie Perry Trademark Fight Continues After Pop Star Loses Australian Appeal 1 hr ago Rachel Scharf Record Labels Olivia Dean & Oasis Help U.K. Recorded Music Revenue Cross £1.5 Billion for First Time: BPI 1 hr ago Thomas Smith Management Bill Simmons, Kendal Marcy & Chris DuBois Form Domain Artist Management With Brad Paisley as First Client 1 hr ago Melinda Newman R&B/Hip-Hop New York Rapper Bentley Bugz Charged With Sex Trafficking 16-Year-Old Girl 4 hrs ago Michael Saponara See All News