Ryan Billington Sues Shopify Over Alleged Design Thefts
Brisbane – Ryan Billington, a 20-year-old poster designer, has launched copyright infringement proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court against e-commerce giant Shopify, alleging it failed to act against two websites he claims systematically copied his work.
“My work has been systematically copied and sold on a large scale,” Billington told Guardian Australia.
The Allegations
Billington, who operates the online store radialposters.com from New Zealand, claims the websites clutchposters.com and audibleposters.com directly imitated his site. He alleges the copycat sites sold low-quality digital files, rather than the physical posters he produces.
Billington sent 45 separate infringement notices to Shopify regarding the suspected copycat sites before resorting to legal action. His statement of claim, filed on May 13, lists an overwhelming 3,929 instances where the two websites allegedly copied his original designs.
Shopify’s Response
On April 23, Billington’s solicitor formally contacted Shopify’s legal counsel, requesting the websites be taken down. However, according to court documents, Shopify did not respond to this request.
Billington expressed deep frustration with the process. He told the Guardian that he provided Shopify with extensive ownership evidence, including original Photoshop project source files, but continued to receive only template responses.
“It's been stressful and frustrating trying to get help from Shopify,” he said.
The Outcome
The two allegedly infringing websites appeared to be taken down as of Friday—nine days after the lawsuit was filed and one day after Guardian Australia inquired about the case.
Guardian Australia could not contact the operators of clutchposters.com or audibleposters.com for comment. Shopify declined to comment on the record.
Broader Context
This case follows a previous investigation by Guardian Australia. In July last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a public warning after an investigation identified over 140 "ghost stores" built using Shopify’s e-commerce software. While the ACCC received responses from Meta and Shopify after writing to them about the issue, it refused a freedom of information request for the letters.