SHEIN has always been a little shady, with accusations of stolen designs, but now they’ve been exposed using stolen cosplay photos for wig listings.

This was recently brought to attention by make-up artist and cosplayer Sydney Nicole Addams, who discovered two of her photos being used without permission on SHEIN. She posted two screenshots on Threads, showing her photos with a long black and white wig, and another with a long red wig.

She had never submitted the photos to SHEIN or given them permission to use her photos.

On last check, the black and white wig was still there:

SHEIN Stealing Designs and Photos

SHEIN has long been accused of stealing fashion designs, but this is the first time I’ve seen the stolen photos issue. And Addams isn’t the only one with this issue.

On her Threads post, another person shared the profile for the artist Freshcuttery, who has found her designs copied and her own photos used on both SHEIN and Temu. According to her profile, she’s had little success getting her copyrighted designs removed.

Another post mentioned someone’s stolen design being sold, along with a link to their Etsy profile with the instructions and video on how to use the item.

How to Report Copyright Infringement to SHEIN

SHEIN does make it easy to report a copyright infringement, both with a direct e-mail and form. A quick search online or their site will bring up their policy page which states:

“Thank you for your love of SHEIN. SHEIN respects all kinds of original designs and is determined to combat all kinds of damage to our rights. You are welcome to contact us through copyright@shein.com to provide details of the problem, pictures etc. We will verify and follow up the case in a timely manner.

For more information, you are also welcome to visit our Copyright Notice.”

The Copyright Notice page has all the info you need on what can be reported and how to report it. It also has a direct e-mail should you want to deliver a Cease and Desist letter.

Alternatively, you may send a notice of claimed infringement with the foregoing information to us_legal@sheingroup.com with the subject “Takedown Request” or to the following address:

Copyright Agent, Legal Department

SHEIN US Services, LLC

777 S. Alameda St., 2nd Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90021-1672

You can also fill out this form online: SHEIN copyright infringement

Are Photos Posted Online Fair Game?

Many people replied to Addams’ Threads post saying she had no legal recourse because she had shared her photos online, without a watermark. This is not true.

Photos that you post on social media are generally copyrighted to you, the creator, as soon as you take the photos, according to copyright laws in most countries. You don’t need to register for copyright protection; ownership is automatic even if you never register for a copyright. So SHEIN does not have permission to use the stolen cosplay photos on their website.

However, when you upload images to social media platforms, the terms of service you agree to may give the platform certain rights to use, modify, or share your content, but this doesn’t transfer ownership of the copyright or give third parties permission to use it.

Here are some key points:

1. Ownership: You own the copyright to any photos you take and post. This gives you control over how they’re used, reproduced, and distributed.
2. Terms of Service: Most social media platforms have terms of service that grant them a license to use your photos. For example, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter require you to give them permission to use, display, and share your photos, often as part of their advertising or promotional efforts.
3. Third-Party Use: If someone else wants to use your photos without your permission, they would need to get your consent unless it’s covered by fair use (such as for commentary or criticism). Unauthorized use of your photos by others could be considered copyright infringement.

Steps You Can Take to Secure Your Photos

The main method of stopping your photos from being stolen is to watermark them. Watermarking a photo means adding a visible or sometimes semi-transparent mark, usually text or a logo, to an image to indicate ownership or protect it from unauthorized use.

The watermark is typically placed over the image in a way that makes it harder for someone to use the photo without your permission while still keeping the content visible. Unfortunately, the most effective watermarking usually takes away from the view of the image, as shown in the example below.

A simple watermark is usually your name or website in text in a small portion of the image, placed in a way that it doesn’t detract from the presentation. The only issue is that this is also very easy to crop our or erase if they really want to use the photo.

The bottom line is that if you post photos online, there’s always a chance they will be stolen and used for purposes you never intended. I’ve had my own photos stolen and used for a fake Tinder profile!

The only thing you really can do is be vigilant, watermark when you can, and take the steps to report it if you find your copyright is being infringed upon.