A Paris court has rejected an effort by the French government to suspend the website of fast-fashion giant Shein in response to it selling childlike sex dolls on its platform.
The court said the request for a three-month suspension was 'disproportionate' - but did order age verification for the sale of adult products.
The action against Shein was taken after France's consumer watchdog last month reported it to authorities for selling 'sex dolls with a childlike appearance' and weapons.
Shein said its priority remained protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance.
The court acknowledged the seriousness of selling the childlike sex dolls and weapons in its judgement, but said these had been isolated incidents.
It noted that the Chinese company had taken action to remove the offending items once it had been made aware of them, and that the issues related to a small number of the hundreds of thousands of products on sale on its site.
In response to the initial controversy, Shein announced it would be banning the sale of all sex dolls internationally.
A request by the French government for Shein to be forced to suspend the sale of third-party items on its website - the source of the initial offending items - was also rejected.
In ordering age verification measures for the sale of adult items, the court set a fine for each breach at €10,000 (£8,700; $11,700).
The decision to suspend Shein's website came as the retailer opened its first physical store in Paris.
The launch attracted both shoppers and protesters, with opposition stemming from Shein's sale of childlike sex dolls and its reputation as a fast-fashion brand.
Shein stated: 'We remain committed to continuously improving our control processes, collaborating closely with the French authorities to establish some of the strictest standards in the industry.'
'Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.'
