- Shopify sues Shopline for allegedly copying its storefront template tech.
- Lawsuit cites “overwhelming” evidence of unauthorized copying.
- Shopline expanded globally before being acquired in 2022.
Shopify has filed a lawsuit against Singapore-headquartered Shopline, accusing the latter of copying its customizable storefront template technology, Dawn.
The legal action comes on the heels of Shopline’s launch of Seed, its own customizable storefront template, in the US market.
Dawn vs. Seed: a legal showdown
In the 17-page complaint filed to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Shopify alleges that Shopline created Seed by making an unauthorized copy of Dawn, translating it into a different programming language, and making largely cosmetic changes.
The Canada-headquartered ecommerce enabler cites “overwhelming” evidence, including the appearance of “Shopify” in multiple instances of Seed’s code, similar directory layout organization, and developer pages.
Shopline’s expansion and acquisition drama
Shopline, having launched in Hong Kong and Taiwan, has expanded to Southeast Asia, Australia, and the UK, backed by investors such as 500 Startups, Ardent Capital, and the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund.
In 2022, Shopline was acquired by Nasdaq-listed Chinese livestreaming platform Joyy for $183 million, followed by a wave of departures among its Southeast Asia-based employees, including all of the region’s country managers and Shopline’s co-founders.
To read the original article: https://www.techinasia.com/shopify-sues-shopline-wholesale-copying-storefront-template
