Taylor Swift is being sued by a former Las Vegas performer over a dispute over ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ trademark.
In a lawsuit filed yesterday (March 30) in a California federal court, Maren Wade accused the singer of knowingly disregarding her claim to a similar name and has brought claims for trademark infringement, false designation and unfair competition against Swift and UMG Recordings.
She is seeking unspecified damages and a court order barring the singer from continuing to use the name of her chart-topping album.
In 2014, Wade, who appeared on America’s Got Talent, began writing a column in the Las Vegas Weekly called Confessions Of A Showgirl about her experiences as a performer in the entertainment industry.
Since then, it’s also become a podcast and live show featuring pop and jazz music. Her trademark covers live stage performances, theatrical productions and TV, among other things.
Last year, when Swift released her 12th album, ‘The Life Of A Showgirl‘, “they did not do so quietly,” according to Wade’s complaint. “Within weeks, the designation was affixed to consumer goods, stamped onto labels, tags, and packaging, and deployed as a source identifier across retail channels – all directed at the same audience Plaintiff had spent years cultivating,” it added.
When Swift initially applied to register ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’, the US Patent and Trademark Office declined due to it being confusingly similar to Wade’s, according to the lawsuit.
It noted that the names share a key phrase, “of a Showgirl,” and stressed that they’re both utilised in connection with entertainment involving musical and theatrical performances, which would likely lead consumers to believe there’s a connection between the two sides.
Existing trademarks tend to take precedence over new bids so Swift could face the option of buying out Wade’s claim to the name or fighting the case in court.
Wade has accused Swift of ignoring her trademark and has said her brand has been undermined, with consumers believing that she copied the singer.
According to her lawsuit the “continued erosion of that mark threatens the entirety of” Wade’s brand.
Swift is yet to comment publicly on the case.
In a statement, via The Hollywood Reporter Jaymie Parkinnen, a lawyer for Wade said: “A solo performer who spent twelve years building a brand shouldn’t have to watch it disappear because someone bigger came along.”
Elsewhere, Swift herself recently asked for the US government to block a bedding company’s attempt to trademark the phrase ‘Swift Home’.