Photo Credit: Selena Quintanilla in 1988 / Public Domain
Shein files a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Selena’s estate, arguing it should be shielded from liability as an e-commerce platform that isn’t manufacturing the allegedly infringing items.
E-commerce platform Shein has filed a motion to dismiss the copyright infringement lawsuit filed against it by Q Productions. Suzette Quintanilla, sister of the late Tejano singer Selena, runs Q Productions, which manages Selena-related trademarks. The lawsuit accuses Shein of selling unauthorized merchandise featuring the singer’s name, image, and likeness.
Filed on Thursday, September 17, Shein’s motion argues that it should be shielded from legal liability for knock-off Selena merch sold on its platform by third-party merchants, as Shein itself is simply a sales platform. The company’s attorneys argue that providing a marketplace to list third-party products and search results, process payments, and fulfill orders does not make the platform directly liable for alleged IP violations committed by independent sellers.
Shein further argues that the company has already taken reasonable steps to address the allegedly infringing items by removing flagged merchandise and implementing a search filter to block queries for “Selena” or “Selena Quintanilla” on the site. Shein previously said that its marketplace sellers are required to comply with its policies and certify that their products do not infringe third-party copyrights.
But does that shield the company from liability? It’s worth noting that Shein’s defense—that online marketplaces are not responsible for third-party goods—sounds very similar to arguments offered by fellow e-commerce platform Temu. Temu is engaged in a legal battle against Twenty One Pilots and settled with the estate of MF Doom for similar reasons.
Q Productions sent Shein a cease-and-desist letter in August 2025 over the allegedly infringing merchandise. But they filed the federal lawsuit in March 2026, claiming that the merchandise continued to be made available through Shein even after they informed the company of the infringement. The lawsuit aims to obtain damages and other relief pertaining to the unauthorized use of Selena’s IP and publicity rights.
Shein’s motion arrives as Selena’s estate faces separate legal challenges, including a recent lawsuit from Selena’s brother, A.B. Quintanilla III, over his share of the late singer’s music profits.