Katy Perry Reportedly Loses Years-Long Legal Battle Regarding Her Name
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 3 minutes
An Australian court has found Katy Perry of infringement on a trademark. For those who may not know, in 2019, Australian fashion designer Katie Taylor brought singer Katy Perry to court regarding her trademark. The fashion designer, who sells her products under her birth name (Katie Perry), believes that Katy Perry ignored the trademark when selling her clothing to Australian customers.
Katy Perry Loses Trademark Battle
In 2019, fashion designer Katie Taylor brought Katy Perry to court, regarding her trademark. According to Taylor’s website, she was selling clothes under the alias “Katie Perry” since 2007. She registered her trademark on September 29, 2008. Katy Perry, who was born as Katheryn Hudson, launched her music career in 2008. She made mainstream success with her hit “I Kissed a Girl.”
On April 28, popculture confirmed that Katy Perry was found guilty of infringing upon a trademark. According to a court filing issued on April 27, a federal judge found that Perry’s company “Kitty Purry” infringed partially upon Taylor’s business, Katie Perry. The judge also ruled that merchandise sold during Perry’s 2014 Australian tour infringed on the trademark. For those who may not know, Taylor sells clothing online, through social media promotion.
At the time, the judge ruled that the singer is not liable for compensating the designer due to her use of the name in “good faith.” In turn, the Kitty Purry company has to provide Taylor with financial compensation for damages. The court will figure out the amount of damages owed later this month.
Although Perry was found guilty for selling merchandise during her 2014 tour, the federal judge dismissed claims that Perry’s other outlets for selling merchandise violated trademark. The federal judge dismissed claims of Perry’s 2018 tour violating said trademark. In addition, the judge rejected the singer’s request to cancel Taylor’s trademark.
Judge Says “This is a Tale of Two Women, Two Teenage Dreams, and One Name”
According to Taylor, the ruling is “David versus Goliath victory.” Basically saying that her small business was able to surprisingly win against the larger competitor.
“Not only have I fought myself, but I fought for small businesses in this country, many of them started by women, who can find themselves up against overseas entities who have much more financial power than we do,” Taylor wrote. Taylor clarified on her website that she had “no knowledge of the singer,” ahead of her trademark registration.
“Imagine my surprise when one of the reactions I received was a letter from lawyers representing the US singer Katy Perry,” she said. “They stated that I should immediately stop trading under this name, withdraw all my clothes, and sign a document drafted by them to say that from then on, I will never trade under this name ever again. A true case of David vs Goliath! I felt bullied, insulted, and surprised.”
