Twenty One Pilots have filed a lawsuit against online retail giant Temu, accusing the platform of selling counterfeit band merchandise. The complaint, obtained by Rolling Stone, pulls no punches, describing Temu as a “veritable swamp of infringing and otherwise illegal products.”
According to the filing, the suit is stacked with screenshots showing fake Twenty One Pilots posters, shirts, mugs, and socks being sold through the marketplace. Some of the items, the band’s lawyers argue, are “virtually identical” to products still available on the official Twenty One Pilots website, including designs tied to their 2015 album Blurryface.
The lawsuit claims Temu’s “systematic marketing and sale” of counterfeit goods has put the band’s trademarks at risk, confusing fans and undercutting legitimate sales. Beyond that, the filing brands Temu “one of the most unethical companies operating in today’s global marketplace,” accusing it of endangering consumers, artists, and the environment.
This isn’t the first time the retailer has come under fire. Earlier this year, the European Consumer Organisation flagged dangerous chemicals in items sold through the platform, with Denmark’s Consumer Council discovering phthalates in toys at levels more than 200 times the legal limit.
Merchandise is no small matter for bands. In an industry where streaming pays scraps and touring costs keep climbing, merch is often the difference between breaking even and going under. Yet counterfeiters and even venue merch cuts, continue to bite into that revenue stream. In 2023, Pitchfork reported that venues taking a percentage of artist merch sales had become a growing obstacle for touring acts.
Attorney Jeff Gluck, who represents Twenty One Pilots in this case, has a history of fighting counterfeits. Last month he filed a similar lawsuit on behalf of MF DOOM’s estate, and he’s also worked cases for artists like Benson Boon and Tate McRae, whose suppliers have been hit by fakes outside venues.
For Twenty One Pilots, the message is clear, counterfeit merch doesn’t just rip off fans, it undermines the ecosystem keeping bands alive.
