Influencer Fights Federal Lawsuit Filed by Fellow Influencer

Influencer Solar Being on the left. Influencer Kwiin Ava on the left.

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Solar Being, a popular young hairstyle and culture influencer, has been sued in federal court by an even younger fellow influencer. And the details are grossly hideous.

Solar Powered Dreams

When the creator Solar Being started hair sculpting in 2023, it was a natural next step for her. Leading up to this new business venture, Solar had been making and selling face pendants and body butters, all made by hand. With hope and a dream, she traveled all throughout Southern California going to various trade shows and markets. It was a hustle, but for two years, she owned these shows, and it seemed like nothing could go wrong. That was until it did.

One morning, Solar woke up to find that she had been robbed. The thief had stolen all of her business supplies, along with the products she had made. It was a heartbreaking setback for her, but she knew she had to pivot. So, she picked up some new skills.

The first thing she did was learn how to leverage social media. She began to post more often and consistently, while exploring what she liked. Inside, it was important for her to produce content that she wished she would’ve seen growing up. And that’s exactly what she did.

In 2023, she posted a video sculpting her natural hair into a classic style, and it went viral. The heart-shaped hairstyle was fashioned after one she showed in a photo from the 1970s. As it had way back then, it caught the curious eye of anyone who saw it. This huge response inspired Solar to learn the history of the phenomenon.

In her studies, Solar found that hair sculpting has a rich history, stretching back centuries. The deep history and beauty of the styles motivated her to do more. By sharing this content, she was sharing a piece of history. If nothing else, she was enriching the culture. But she had a problem. She actually had a few problems.

Hair sculpting took a lot of time, and that detracted from other parts of her business. Also, natural sculpted hairstyles didn’t last very long. This was an issue for parents who didn’t have the time or resources to maintain this hairstyle for their kids. This is when Solar came up with the idea that would change her life for the best. And worst.

A Hater Builds a Roadblock

Solar wanted kids to have the sculpted hairstyles they wanted, and she wanted their parents to save time and money. Inspired, she stepped into her lab and stepped out with Solar Being Sculpted Hair Extensions. Still, she needed to get the word out.

It took some time, but a supportive group of friends and models backed her up. A few kids even modeled some of her extensions for her website and social media. People were searching for Solar, but the expenses were piling up. She needed capital, so she started a Kickstarter. Then, all hell broke loose.

After launching the Kickstarter, money poured in from everywhere to support Solar and her business. It was more than she had hoped for. Sitting with her friends and family as they watched the campaign, she was shocked at what she saw.

Her goal had been $5,000, and her campaign had made over $50,000 by the time it ended. Solar was beyond overjoyed. She’d reached her goal. But her excitement wouldn’t live long.

Overnight, Kickstarter shut down Solar’s campaign. Searching for answers, she logged into the app and saw she had a restriction on her account. Then, an email notification from Kickstarter chimed on her screen. Her heart dropped as she read the email.

Someone had filed a DMCA copyright against her campaign. Kickstarter provided Solar with the legal complaint they had received. It had come from the attorney of creator Kwiin Ava who also works in sculpted hair.

In part, the letter from Ava’s attorney read, “My client is the original creator and brand owner of a distinctive visual identity centered on Afro hair designs styled into unique shapes such as hearts, stars and flowers. This aesthetic is a signature of their content.” Solar was flabbergasted.

As she read on, Solar realized the attorney was arguing Kwiin Ava owned certain sculpted hairstyles. The concept seemed ridiculous to Solar, but she attacked the claims from a legal standpoint. Her argument was, no one can own a hairstyle. She presented her documents, business filings and other relevant information to Kickstarter, knowing that things could go either way.

Kickstarter froze Solar’s funds, but she let them do their part. She had done all she could. Over the next few days, she continued posting and attempting to fund her hair extensions business. Just when she thought the battle was over, Kickstarter reached out to her.

The company had reviewed the case. The documents Solar had provided were strong. Kickstarter agreed with her. That same day, they released Solar’s funds. She celebrated being able to fund her orders and grow her business. This was her golden era, or so she thought. Another unwelcome email just days later would shake things up a bit more.

The Kwiin’s Case

Solar read the cease and desist email twice and shook her head. She couldn’t believe the long list of demands from Kwiin Ava’s attorney she was reading. It said Solar must “Immediately remove or disable access to all social media content that contains, references or promotes sculptural hair designs that are confusingly similar to [Kwiin Ava’s] signature styles — including but not limited to the Star, Heart, Butterfly and Flower.”

On top of that, Ava’s attorney also requested Solar that down her hair extensions business and fork over any money from the Kickstarter campaign. Solar drew the line and refused. She decided she needed legal counsel. What came next was a series of damaging blows to Solar’s YouTube channel.

Within a few months, Solar’s videos began receiving copyright strikes. On the same day, she received two of them. This made her nervous because YouTube has been known to ban accounts after the third strike. Shortly thereafter, another DMCA claim was filed against her Kickstarter account. The claims, all from Ava through her attorney, were about the shapes of the sculpted hair in Solar’s content. As if things couldn’t get any worse, they did.

As Solar left her place of business, she was served with a federal lawsuit, filed in Federal court against her on behalf of the 23-year-old Kwiin Ava. Solar, a 25-year-old businesswoman, was being sued for following her dreams. She was being sued for refusing to fold in the face of greed and jealousy. She sighed and called her lawyer. Not one to give in, Solar responded by filing a counterclaim. Her case is actually the strong one, and time will show it.

The Takeaway

The war started when Solar’s Kickstarter took off and Ava felt the burn of envy. Instead of doing her own thing, Ava tried to take from Solar. It is easier to file a lawsuit than it is to work for the cash. Ava thought she had a weakling who would fold like cardboard under threat of unnecessary legal action. What she got instead was a young businesswoman willing to go to war, and win, about what’s hers.

The federal lawsuit hasn’t been set for trial, but it’s so ridiculous, it’s likely to be dismissed before any serious proceedings begin. And Solar is the victim of an outdated DMCA law from almost two decades ago that allow for the justice system to be abused.

Because of that, Ava’s clear misuse of the courts speaks to the larger issue of needed reform in digital law. Ava’s claims are baseless and have no real chance in court. However, the process can financially break a person and cause them unnecessary psychological stress. This is the purest intent of a frivolous lawsuit distilled. There has to be change, and maybe this will start with Solar. This can only happen if we spread the word. So, share this article to inform others of Solar’s story and inspire them.

As far as Solar, she has filed a counterclaim, and it’s strong. Her claim is simply that Ava has no case, according to the law and evidence. I hope Solar wins this case so she can put her undivided attention back on spreading love and culture.

Listen to Solar Being tell her story here on her YouTube channel.

FOLLOW the author Jermaine Reed, Jermaine Reed, MFA for his controversial but real hot takes.