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Did Laura Really Steal?
Laura Lee has come under fire when the owner of an Australian bikini brand claimed the YouTuber plagiarized her company’s name and graphic design.
The claims have been leveled against Laura’s online clothes business, Minim LA. Minim LA debuted in 2020 under the name Nudie Patootie, selling colorful, flirtatious designs based on the creator’s personal taste.
Swimwear brand gone wrong
Due to trademark difficulties, Laura was obliged to alter her name in 2022. She utilized the chance to rebrand the boutique, embracing the minimalist trend that has dominated fashion in recent years. Minim LA (a play on the word “minimal”) now offers modern necessities and body care items.
While Laura’s 4.6 million followers were pleased with the rebrand, with some admirers believing the new name and style felt more “grown-up” and long-lasting than Nudie Patootie, the YouTuber is now receiving criticism for allegedly stealing the idea.
Introducing Taylor Dodds
Taylor Dodds, the founder of Minimaa, an Australian swimwear designer, took to TikTok earlier this week to call out a “massive U.S. influencer” for duplicating her brand name and logo.
“There’s nothing more disappointing than pouring your heart, soul, and bank account into a business, only to have a massive U.S. influencer completely steal your branding,” Taylor wrote on the Minimaa brand account.
Taylor did not expressly mention Laura, but she did place her logo next to Minim LA’s emblem, adding, “You cannot tell me that this is not the same thing.” This made it plain to the audience that she was talking about Laura.
“I really pride myself on being original and coming up with my own ideas and things like that, so it’s just really upsetting to see,” Taylor said in an interview. “It’s a sad day for a small business owner.”
In a follow-up video, Taylor emphasized that she founded her company in 2021, one year before Laura was compelled to rename.
She added that she had only recently been aware of these connections.
“I had a friend send me their logo/account on Sunday and posted the video on Monday,” Taylor told Centennial World. “I chose to speak out as it’s quite often you hear of big brands/influencers ripping off smaller ones & there is nothing ever done about it, so it was shared for awareness more than anything.”
Taylor also stated that she had not heard from Laura or the Minim LA team at the time of publication.
@minimaaswimwear Surely its not just me that sees how similar these are?!!! #smallbusinessripoff #fyp #petermonn ♬ original sound – MINIMAA
… and Jaclyn Hill?
Internet people are now comparing the scenario to Jaclyn Hill’s Koze.
Jaclyn, another mega-beauty YouTuber with over 5 million subscribers, debuted the Koze loungewear line in October 2022.
Jaclyn has encountered controversy for the brand name since its start, as fellow YouTuber Kalyn Nicholson already had a lifestyle brand called Koze that had been in business for five years.
Kalyn was compelled to close her company approximately a month after Jaclyn’s brand started because she had not copyrighted the name and was unwilling to engage in a lengthy and costly legal battle with Jaclyn.
Jaclyn revealed in August 2023 that she was closing Koze, causing even more outrage.
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