RewardStyle prepares to sue Popsugar over alleged influencer content theft

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Jul 4, 2018

Dallas, TX-based RewardStyle has filed a pre-suit petition to depose representatives of Popsugar and ShopStyle who were recently sued for using influencer images and replacing their content with other affiliate links.

In accordance with Texas legislation, RewardStyle's petition, which was filed in Dallas County District Court, "seeks to perpetuate testimony and investigate potential claims, including misappropriation, theft, and conspiracy, arising from the copying, alteration, and unauthorized use of content from RewardStyle's [Like to Know It] platform."

The petition is therefore part of RewardStyle's strategy to assess its rights and preserve potential evidence in anticipation of a future lawsuit.

At the heart of the dispute is RewardStyle's monetization model for influencer images on Like to Know It, a revenue stream that the company claims is worth $500,000,000 in retail sales. The company claims that Popsugar and ShopStyle unfairly benefited from this revenue stream by using influencer images from the platform to promote its own retail partners.

According to the company's complaint, RewardStyle filed the petition after discovering Popsugar "stole millions of images from [their] website, stripped the affiliate links and technology that facilitate payments..., rebranded the images with a new logo..., added affiliate links for rewardStyle’s competitor ShopStyle, and then posted the images on Popsugar's own website."

RewardStyle's petition comes a week after influencer Nita Batra sued Popsugar for stealing her images. In her complaint she alleged that Popsugar removed her monetized links on Like to Know It and replaced them with affiliate links on ShopStyle, a platform Popsugar had its own financial arrangement with.

 The court has already set RewardStyle's case for initial hearing.