How villainous.
The estate of legendary rapper MF DOOM has launched a legal assault against Temu, accusing the e-commerce giant of flooding its platform with counterfeit merchandise bearing the late artist’s name, likeness, and iconic mask.
Filed August 11 in California federal court, the lawsuit by Gas Drawls LLC, the company managing DOOM’s legacy, alleges Temu enabled sellers to profit from knockoff shirts, posters, and hats that “devalue [his] status in hip-hop” and mislead fans into believing they’re buying authentic goods.
Gas Drawls slammed Temu as “one of the most unethical companies,” citing forced labour allegations, data privacy violations, and even homophobic merchandise sold alongside the bootleg DOOM items.
The suit demands an injunction, destruction of infringing stock, and punitive damages to deter what it calls Temu’s “willful and malicious” trademark theft.
This isn’t Temu’s first IP battle, Brandy Melville and Shein have sued similarly, but the DOOM case spotlights how counterfeit culture exploits late artists’ legacies.
