Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 11 NOVEMBER 2026

Can A Heart Emoji ❤️ Create A Binding Copyright License?

Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC
Contributor
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC

Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC

Founded more than 40 years ago as a boutique law firm servicing the entertainment and arts...

View firm profile
Explore more from Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC

An Icelandic content creator with 1.5 million Instagram followers sued a tourism promotion company for copyright infringement after it repeatedly reposted her travel content without permission. The case explores complex questions about copyright ownership when multiple people contribute to creative works, the scope of Instagram's Terms of Use, and whether heart emoji reactions can constitute an implied license to use copyrighted material.

United StatesIntellectual Property

Asa Steinars is an Icelandic content creator. Her Instagram account has more than 1.5 million followers, making her the 6th most followed Icelander on Instagram (Laufey is first, and Björk is third). Videos of Steinars kayaking among icebergs, zip-lining over glaciers, and bathing in hot springs would make anyone with a ❤️ beat want to visit the Land of Fire and Ice. Working closely with her husband Leo (who is often behind the camera or operating drones that take dramatic aerial footage), Steinars licenses content to third parties, does brand collabs, and earns commissions on tours and hotels booked through links on her page. She pours her ❤️ and soul into it.

Defendant Tripscout promotes tourism through a large network of social media accounts. Tripscout also owns @hotel, a booking platform linked from the bios of its travel accounts, and it earns a commission when users book through it. Tripscout is, as the court put it, “always on the hunt for captivating travel-related

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

www.fkks.com

This alert provides general coverage of its subject area. We provide it with the understanding that Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz is not engaged herein in rendering legal advice, and shall not be liable for any damages resulting from any error, inaccuracy, or omission. Our attorneys practice law only in jurisdictions in which they are properly authorized to do so. We do not seek to represent clients in other jurisdictions.

See more popular content from