Anti Copying in Design (ACID) members will be all too aware of the controversy surrounding Spring Fair 2025 and the decision to allow TEMU to attend. It was thought by many who voiced their shock and displeasure on social media that Hyve had made a bold and possibly costly misjudgement in so doing.

We get it. Spring Fair must be an open platform for retailers and creatives, but many exhibitors who invest thousands to exhibit were hurt by this decision. Vulnerability and anger were palpable. Though we are all supporters of inclusivity and fairness, open dialogue, as one furious exhibitor put it “Hyve; read the room”.

For ACID, it was a huge concern that an event we accredit for a zero-tolerance approach to intellectual property (IP) theft was hosting what the majority of the creative population see as the single biggest threat to their livelihoods. We had to take a stand!

Respect where it’s due to TEMU. They knew there was controversy. They knew there was huge ill-feeling and anger towards their presence. They knew they would get a grilling. Perhaps it’s arrogance but – fair play – their representatives showed up at the talk and spoke anyway and addressed questions with such sentiment that one audience member suggested they should consider a career in politics.

There was a clear message of disappointment, anger and concern from all exhibitors at Spring Fair, which was strongly communicated during the gravely anticipated Q&A session following TEMU’s talk on Tuesday 4^th February at 10am, in which they presented their UK arm of the global online marketplace as an opportunity for Spring Fair exhibitors to “sell like a billionaire”.

Suffice to say, this is not a retailing option many – if any – of the attendees wished to be involved in. In fact, the Q&A session opened a floodgate of copying concerns and infringement anger, coupled with the potential brand devaluation that a platform seen as ‘discounted, cheap knock offs’ would bring.

ACID CEO, Laura Newbold Breen, seized the opportunity to speak on behalf of ACID members and the creative community as a whole, challenging TEMU on what they described as a stringent “vetting process” for onboarding sellers which, she stated, “clearly isn’t working”. TEMU is believed by many to be a platform for cheap, mass produced copies and a hotbed for copyright infringement and their mere presence at Spring Fair was controversial. A point Laura later put to TEMU, during ACID’s meeting that, sadly (for them), their reputation precedes them.

Having only began the UK arm of the business in mid-2024, Spring Fair 2025 proved to be TEMU’s first UK expo, so what an opportunity to bypass the many layers of digital deflection and actually speak to a human being. Not an opportunity ACID was going to pass up when our members’ businesses are at stake!

Though the intention was to record TEMU’s response to a number of the comments raised on ACID’s Instagram, alas, going on the record was point blank refused. A lively and pointed discussion, however was not.

In summary:

• TEMU operate a responsive take down portal but this is time consuming for small businesses and lone designers – a fact strongly communicated to them by ACID and all who questioned them following their talk.
• TEMU need to be proactively removing infringing sellers and not allowing them to return. TEMU are adamant they impose a one strike rule but, in our members’ experience, this is not the case. Again, a point strongly voiced by ACID and all.
• TEMU understand these concerns and are equally concerned about opening themselves up to repercussions if they inadvertently delist a legitimate seller.
• Copyright infringement (like unregistered designs) is difficult to action. TEMU’s take down process relies on certification, often checking the IPO for registered trade marks and designs.
• The ACID IP Databank certificate has proven highly successful in delisting copyright infringement on TEMU. A certified audit trail of unregistered design rights is the key to success and the lack of this is apparently problematic to TEMU’s take down process, so ACID’s IP Databank is an invaluable tool for proving ownership.
• TEMU are extremely open to talking further with ACID, and we have pushed them for a meeting with their UK Head Office with ACID’s Chairman & Co-Founder, Director of Public Affairs/IP Policy & Campaigning, Dids Macdonald, OBE. Watch this space!  We won’t be taking our foot off this pedal!

In the meantime, please use the IP Databank and have your PIPCU endorsed certificates ready to go should you spot infringement on TEMU. Register your designs with the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO)if and when you can. Use our template MP letter to get this on the government agenda and please, please don’t lose faith. Contact us any time if you have any questions.

ACID’s final comment

We have always had a positive relationship with Hyve, and really enjoy working with them at their events. Their consistent message of zero tolerance to IP theft is clear through their dedication to ACID accreditation and we look forward to continuing our relationship.  Hyve have engaged with ACID proactively and openly throughout this situation, which has been much appreciated by the ACID team and our members exhibiting at the show.

Whilst saying that, allowing TEMU to attend Spring Fair was, reiterated by many, an error of judgement by the organisers, and ACID have shared this feedback with Hyve. For ACID, it was a rare opportunity to speak to the people behind this online marketplace giant directly; not something any of us usually get the chance to do! TEMU can now be in absolutely no doubt about the feeling towards them from the UK design and creative community, and the graft they’ll need to invest to change their culture in, if our creative community is to remotely consider selling on their platform, is significant. Let’s hope TEMU sell bricks because they have a lot of bridges to build if they want to change perceptions.

Should they be intent on changing their business practice to support originators and track illegal re-sellers, ACID’s door is open and we welcome discussions to ensure our members’ IP, and the IP of all designers and creatives, is not infringed on their platform.

If you would like to support our ongoing campaigning efforts, please feel free to add your name to the ACID IP Charter – It is free and by signing the ACID IP Charter, you are taking a public stance against unlawful copying in design, amplifying the voice of designers across the UK, and affirming your support for the continual campaign for the preservation and promotion of invaluable IP protection rights.

Take a look to see if ACID membership can support your creative business.