Lawyer Fights Lawsuit in Court
Billboard • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Taylor Swift’s lawyer argued in federal court that her album "The Life of a Showgirl" is protected as an expressive work under the First Amendment, opposing Maren Wade’s trademark infringement injunction bid.
- Wade, who owns the trademark for her cabaret show "Confessions of a Showgirl," claims Swift’s album title and related merchandise cause confusion and harm her smaller business.
- The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office preliminarily denied Swift’s trademark application for "The Life of a Showgirl" due to potential confusion with Wade’s mark, though the application is still pending.
- Swift’s legal team highlighted differences in scale and audience between the two artists, and criticized Wade for using Swift-related hashtags and branding on social media.
- Judge Serena R. Murillo did not rule on the injunction during the hearing, stating a written decision would be issued soon, while Swift’s team has also filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.