TikToker sues rival for copying content in ‘game-changing’ lawsuit

A lawsuit has been filed by a TikTok user against a competing influencer for copying her content. If the lawsuit is successful, it could have a lasting impact on the way content is shared.

Sydney Nicole Gifford, a popular influencer on TikTok, has amassed a following of 500,000 for her visually appealing content consisting of primarily white, black, and beige tones.

Despite there being no clear rule against individuals using user videos as inspiration for their own content, Sydney filed a lawsuit against fellow TikToker Alyssa Sheil for allegedly copying her content.

Alyssa’s TikTok page not only shares a similar aesthetic with Sydney’s, featuring the same color scheme, but she has also uploaded “almost identical videos.”

Based on court records, it appears that at least 40 of Alyssa’s posts on her platform were very similar in terms of style, tone, camera angle, and/or text to those of Sydney’s.

@sydneynicolegiff the last color!?!🫢🫢 on myyy ‘april orders’! !! the shoes of the summer i swear ✨ #sandals #slides #affordableshoes #affordablefashion #summershoes ♬ hell n back – 🤍

Alyssa’s imitation slideshow of one of Sydney’s Amazon home product posts resulted in the removal of one of her TikToks by the platform.

Despite their online rivalry, the two were previously acquaintances and had even met in person. According to court documents, in December 2022, they had a meeting in Texas where their intention was to support each other’s businesses, as stated by Sydney.

@alyssasheil & theyre less than 50.. 😮‍💨🤌🏻 on my amzn sf! #amazonspringfashion #amazonsummerfashion #amazonsummerfinds #hermessandals #hermesinspired #amazonshoes #amazonsandals ♬ Jungle back on 74 Sped up – Deep music🎧

After only a month of meeting, Alyssa and Sydney worked on a joint photoshoot. However, shortly after, Alyssa blocked Sydney on social media and started sharing similar content.

Kirsten Kumar, the lawyer for Sydney, stated that Ms. Gifford’s objective is to safeguard her work from being copied by a copycat. This particular case holds importance as it calls for the court to utilize traditional legal principles in addressing the current issues surrounding the creation of online content.

If the lawsuit is ruled in favor of Sydney, Tiffany Ferris, a partner and chair of the Trademark and Advertising Group at the global law firm Haynes and Boone, stated that it “has the potential to significantly alter the landscape of influencer marketing.”

According to her, influencers will soon find it “extremely challenging”to create content.

Despite being filed in April, the outcome of Sydney’s copyright infringement lawsuit has yet to be determined.