An American influencer who focuses on "reviewing" Amazon products from her stylish home is suing another influencer who also posts about products from the giant company, from a similarly toned-down home. Tech site The Verge has met the two women, one in Austin, Texas, and one in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
It's so clearly very frustrating for I have put down very much time and energy into my business. It feels like someone took a piece of my business and marketed it as their own, says the woman behind the lawsuit, which is now to be assessed by a district judge in Texas.
According to both women, it's the other who is the copycat. Both have hundreds of thousands of followers and a number of posts on Tiktok that have been seen by millions.
The two women previously knew each other superficially, but have been working on their own for the past few years. But not uniquely enough, according to the woman who is suing the other for copying her "vibe", i.e. things like style, tone, formulations, and product selection.
If the judge decides that the legal process should proceed and the woman is ultimately found guilty, she risks million-kronor fines.
A potential verdict could be precedent-setting among influencers, who often focus on the same trends or products with very similar tones.
