SYDNEY, Australia – American pop star Katy Perry has won a legal victory in her long-running trademark dispute with Australian fashion designer Katie Perry.
On Friday, November 22, 2024, an Australian appeals court overturned a previous ruling in favour of the designer, Katie Taylor, who sells clothing under her birth name.
The case centred on the use of the name “Katie Perry,” which Taylor had trademarked in 2008, five years after the American singer began using her name professionally.
Judges ruled that Katy Perry’s “international reputation” in entertainment by that time outweighed the designer’s claim to the trademark.
The court also invalidated Taylor’s trademark registration, effectively ending the dispute that has spanned nearly a decade.
A Tale of Two Names
Taylor, who runs her fashion business under the name Katie Perry, likened the case to a “David and Goliath” battle.
Following Friday’s decision, she expressed disappointment, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that she was “devastated” by the outcome.
The appeals judges acknowledged the difficulty of the case, describing it as “unfortunate” that it involved two women unaware of each other’s ventures when they began using the same name.
“Both women put blood, sweat, and tears into developing their businesses,” the judges noted.
“As the fame of one grew internationally, the other became aware of her namesake and filed a trademark application.”
Last year, a lower court ruled in favour of Taylor, citing one of Katy Perry’s most famous songs in its judgment: “This is a tale of two women, two teenage dreams and one name.”
However, the appeals judges disagreed, concluding that the singer’s earlier use of her name as a trademark and her established global reputation carried more weight.
Looking Ahead
The ruling comes as Katy Perry gears up for her highly anticipated Lifetimes world tour in 2025 to promote her comeback album 143.
The legal victory removes a potential obstacle to her brand’s continued expansion in Australia and beyond.
While the case has now been resolved, it highlights the challenges of navigating trademark disputes in an increasingly globalised marketplace.
For both women, the legal battle underscores the importance of protecting intellectual property in their respective industries.
