Pop Mart vs. Tuzhu Copyright Battle Maze: Both Sides Have Conflicting Statements on "Pre-litigation Communication"

```

A legal battle over copyright infringement between Pop Mart, the domestic leader in designer toys, and TCT, the 3D printing unicorn, is about to begin.

The case will officially go to trial on April 2.

This infringement dispute originated from MakerWorld, the world’s largest 3D model community under TCT by monthly active users.

Previously, the platform had long been flooded with a large number of user-uploaded, unauthorized “LABUBU” 3D printing models.

As a star IP under Pop Mart, "LABUBU" holds great commercial value. These widely spread unauthorized models are alleged to have directly infringed Pop Mart's IP copyright, which led to this lawsuit.

MakerWorld has swiftly taken down all related IP models from the platform.

Although the trial has not yet started, both parties are already engaged in heated debate over whether “there was any pre-litigation communication.”

On the afternoon of March 9, Economic Observer quoted unnamed sources saying that before the lawsuit, they had not received any communication request from Pop Mart.

However, Pop Mart has given a completely different response.

A source close to Pop Mart told AllWeather Technology: "Pop Mart's legal team formally sent letters to TCT in May and October 2025 to communicate about platform infringement issues, before ultimately initiating litigation."

Regarding Pop Mart's response, AllWeather Technology subsequently sought confirmation from TCT about the authenticity of these letters, but as of the time of publication, no official reply had been received from TCT.

It is worth noting that pre-litigation communication is also an important process.

“It is also necessary to distinguish between the types of communication letters—whether they are for friendly negotiation or legal warnings. In any case, if TCT knowingly allowed the infringement to persist without taking timely action, leading to more serious consequences, they may have to bear greater legal responsibility,” a Shenzhen legal professional told AllWeather Technology.

This dispute not only involves the specific attribution of copyright, but also highlights the compliance challenges UGC (User-Generated Content) 3D printing platforms face in their content ecosystem.

Whether and how both parties might reach a settlement is now under close watch.
(This article was also contributed to by Liu Yichen at Wallstreetcn)

Risk DisclaimerThe market involves risk, and investment requires caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the special investment goals, financial situations, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific situation. Investments made based on this are at your own risk. ```