Can the concept of a walk with your friends be trademarked?

That question is at the center of a legal dispute involving an Indianapolis woman.

The organizer of a popular Indianapolis walking club, Casey Springer, has been sued by TikTok influencer, Mia Lind, for allegedly using her trademarked brand without permission, business disparagement and defamation. Lind began promoting the idea of a women-only mental health walk during the pandemic and branded it as “Hot Girl Walk.”

Springer said she was inspired by the California-based Lind to create Hot Girl Walk Indianapolis but did not want to partner with the company because of differing values. For one, she did not like Hot Girl Walk’s partnership with Weight Watchers, which she said could hurt some of the Indianapolis participants who suffered from eating disorders. From there, the conflict grew. Springer accused Lind of trying to shut down a local walking club that was free to the community. Lind accused Springer of disparaging and harassing her and her company and encouraging her followers do the same, according to the lawsuit.

“When I created Hot Girl Walk, I never expected something like this to happen,” Lind said in a statement. “Ms. Springer’s words and actions are very scary, and this was my only choice to protect me, my family, and my company.”

Springer said her negative comments were made in a private chat with her friends, which someone later leaked to Lind and she said she never intended for her words to go beyond a small group.

“I was venting with my galpals,” Springer said. “That’s all it was.”

The story has all the trappings of a modern day digital feud — a viral TikTok post that birthed a company, accusations of trolling and doxing and a fight over a bubbly pink brand. But the heart of the conflict, what is trademarked and what is fair use, is nothing new.

The story really begins with ‘Hot Girl Summer,’ a 2019 banger by Megan Thee Stallion that carved out a permanent spot in Millennial and Gen Z vernacular. The idea of the hot girl — who exudes confidence and spunk no matter the struggles in life — took off.

Then Lind, a University of Southern California student or @exactlyliketheothergirls, shared a “hot” weight loss tip on TikTok in 2021.

“If you want to know how I went from *this* to *this,” she says in the video as before and after weight loss photos flashed. “Listen up. This is for you.”

Hot Girl Walk

That was the start of Hot Girl Walk, a four-mile walk during which participants are encouraged to think about their achievements, goals and feel confident. As many as tens of thousands women have joined Lind on her walks.

Lind later trademarked the term and launched a business that organizes walks from Los Angeles to New York to Miami. It’s Barbie meets athleisure, backed by big brands like Reebok, Lululemon and Weight Watchers.

Lind’s company now also sells merchandise, from hats to hoodies.

“Being hot isn’t about what you look like but it’s everything to do with what comes from the inside out,” Lind said in a recent TV interview.

We Walk Indy

Last year, Springer, a Broad Ripple resident, launched a local walking club for “the Girls, Gays + Theys,” according to its website. The weekly walks are free, and organizers partner with local groups like Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc. Springer said she doesn’t make money off the group.

Lind alleges that Springer first used the name Hot Girl Walk Indy before changing the group’s name to Hot Walk Indy last year, both of which she claims violates copyright laws, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

The lawsuit also lays out allegations of online bullying by Springer and her supporters, including calling the merchandise “butt ugly” and “reporting false walks in the Bermuda triangle, Pangea, Antarctica, prisons, and/or islands where the inhabitants attack HOT GIRL WALK participants that come on the island,” according to the lawsuit.

Supporters of the local group accused Lind of being overly zealous in targeting a free community group.

On Tuesday, the local group changed its name on Instagram to We Walk Indy.

“At the end of the day, I’m just here to create an inclusive walking club for my community. I love my community and everything we stand for and have built together for the last year,” the Instagram account says. “No one can take that from us. No one.”

Binghui Huang can be reached at 317-385-1595 or Bhuang@gannett.com