Temu Seeks to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Bootleg MF Doom Merch

Claims it isn’t responsible for independent sellers on its platform

In August the estate of MF Doom, which is administered by Gas Drawls LLC, filed a lawsuit against e-commerce giant Temu, alleging it’s selling counterfeit merchandise such as T-shirts, hats and posters that display the late rapper’s name and image. Temu is now seeking to have the case dismissed.

The claims:

Temu’s attorneys claim it isn’t responsible for the actions of independent Chinese sellers who use the platform, and that it is simply the intermediary.
As per Digital Music News, they also state that under intellectual property law, the platform can’t be held directly liable for infringement by third-party sellers.
The attorneys also argue that while the estate of MF Doom is attempting to claim ownership of his likeness, post-mortem rights of publicity don’t exist in the UK, where MF Doom died in 2020.

Intellectual property:

Temu claims to take intellectual property rights seriously, and has a “robust system” in place through which users can report infringement.
It claims MF Doom’s estate failed to do so before resorting to litigation.
Temu’s attorneys claim that “out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with its IP policies – not as an admission of merit to Gas Drawls’ claim – Temu removed every listing that it could identify from the poor-quality screenshots provided.”

The request:

Temu’s attorneys have asked that the judge dismiss the MF Doom estate’s claims outright or, at the very least, its “irrelevant and inflammatory” allegations of “unethical” business practices.

The claims:

Temu’s attorneys claim it isn’t responsible for the actions of independent Chinese sellers who use the platform, and that it is simply the intermediary.
As per Digital Music News, they also state that under intellectual property law, the platform can’t be held directly liable for infringement by third-party sellers.
The attorneys also argue that while the estate of MF Doom is attempting to claim ownership of his likeness, post-mortem rights of publicity don’t exist in the UK, where MF Doom died in 2020.

Intellectual property:

Temu claims to take intellectual property rights seriously, and has a “robust system” in place through which users can report infringement.
It claims MF Doom’s estate failed to do so before resorting to litigation.
Temu’s attorneys claim that “out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with its IP policies – not as an admission of merit to Gas Drawls’ claim – Temu removed every listing that it could identify from the poor-quality screenshots provided.”

The request:

Temu’s attorneys have asked that the judge dismiss the MF Doom estate’s claims outright or, at the very least, its “irrelevant and inflammatory” allegations of “unethical” business practices.

The claims:

Temu’s attorneys claim it isn’t responsible for the actions of independent Chinese sellers who use the platform, and that it is simply the intermediary.
As per Digital Music News, they also state that under intellectual property law, the platform can’t be held directly liable for infringement by third-party sellers.
The attorneys also argue that while the estate of MF Doom is attempting to claim ownership of his likeness, post-mortem rights of publicity don’t exist in the UK, where MF Doom died in 2020.

Intellectual property:

Temu claims to take intellectual property rights seriously, and has a “robust system” in place through which users can report infringement.
It claims MF Doom’s estate failed to do so before resorting to litigation.
Temu’s attorneys claim that “out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with its IP policies – not as an admission of merit to Gas Drawls’ claim – Temu removed every listing that it could identify from the poor-quality screenshots provided.”

The request:

Temu’s attorneys have asked that the judge dismiss the MF Doom estate’s claims outright or, at the very least, its “irrelevant and inflammatory” allegations of “unethical” business practices.

👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block

This story was written with information from Digital Music News.
We covered it because it’s news in the ongoing battle between Temu and MF Doom’s estate.