A federal judge has dismissed a copyright lawsuit brought by influencer Aaliyah Ramsey, who accused Amazon creators Kyra and Kayla Williams of copying her minimalist content style. The court ruled that the aesthetic elements Ramsey described, which include beige tones, clean visuals and curated product shots, are not eligible for copyright protection.
The lawsuit
Filed earlier this year, Ramsey’s lawsuit claimed that the Williams twins replicated her Amazon Storefront and social media content. She claimed these were built around a distinctive visual identity. Ramsey alleged that the creators used similar product setups, color schemes and even copycat video scripts to promote items on their Amazon Live streams.
The Williams sisters denied the allegations and argued that the claims lacked merit. They requested that the case be dismissed on the grounds that general style and creative choices, such as the use of neutral color palettes, cannot be copyrighted.
The court’s decision
In the ruling, the court found that the elements Ramsey cited were not original enough to qualify for copyright protection. The decision emphasized that “ideas, concepts and aesthetics” fall outside the scope of copyright law. While creators can copyright specific expressions like text, images, or audiovisual material, they cannot protect broad visual styles or themes.
The court dismissed all claims, siding with the Williams sisters. Note, the two influencers both recently asked for the case to be dismissed.
Implications for creators
This case highlights the limits of copyright protection in the creator economy. While many influencers build strong visual brands, courts remain clear that aesthetic choices alone are not legally defensible. Content creators cannot claim ownership over general trends or visual styles, even if they’ve used them consistently or at scale.
Legal protection still applies to original assets, including logos, written copy and produced media. However, as this case shows, trends like the “clean girl” aesthetic remain open territory.