Filed on Monday (3.30,) Taylor Swift is facing a trademark infringement lawsuit brought by Las Vegas-based performer Maren Wade.
According to the plaintiff, the suit claims the superstar’s record-breaking album, The Life of a Showgirl, has eclipsed an existing brand called Confessions of a Showgirl.
For a touring cabaret show about the humorous escapades of a modern-day entertainer, since 2015, Wade owns a trademark on the name Confessions of a Showgirl and she alleges her intellectual property has been trampled by similar phrasing in The Life of a Showgirl, Swift’s 12th studio LP.
Having already attempted to trademark the album’s title, Swift’s efforts were rejected by the US Patent and Trademark Office due to a “likelihood of confusion” with Wade’s brand.
According to Wade, she’s been the sole victim of the similarity, and the new Swift era has “threatened to swallow” her much smaller business. As a result, she is bringing claims for trademark infringement and unfair competition against Swift, her company TAS Rights Management, Universal Music Group, and the label’s merchandise subsidiary, Bravado.
The lawsuit is seeking unspecified financial damages and an injunction stopping Swift from selling The Life of a Showgirl consumer products, including clothing, drink ware, candles and hairbrushes.
Wade’s trademark claims focus solely on merchandise sales related to Swift’s album, not the underlying music itself. The complaint states that she, as a performer, “respects Swift’s right to creative expression”.
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Looking Glass Films