Katy Perry Loses Katie Perry Trademark Fight

'This is a tale of two women, two teenage dreams and one name'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 28, 2023 12:01 PM CDT
Katy Perry Loses Katie Perry Trademark Fight
Katy Perry attends the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship store grand re-opening event on Thursday, April 27, 2023, in New York.   (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

The Australian fashioner designer who created a line of clothing called Katie Perry has prevailed in what she calls a "David and Goliath" trademark case against Katy Perry. Designer Katie Taylor, who was born Katie Perry, created the label in 2007 and registered the trademark in 2008, the year American pop singer Katy Perry, whose real name is Katheryn Hudson, had her first hits, the BBC reports. The singer initially fought the registration of the Katie Perry brand in Australia, but she later her dropped her opposition, 9News reports. In 2019, the designer sued the singer for infringing the copyright with merchandise she sold for her 2014 and 2018 tours.

"This is a tale of two women, two teenage dreams and one name," Australian federal judge Brigitte Markovic wrote in her ruling. She said the singer doesn't owe the designer compensation because she used the Katy Perry mark in "good faith"—but Katy Perry's Kitty Purry company owes damages that will be decided at a later date. The designer says she didn't challenge use of the name on merchandise until 2019, when a lawyer offered to help pro bono, Financial Review reports. She says she was "bullied and trolled" by the singer's fans throughout the legal saga.

"This is a win for small business. We matter, Australian laws matter and most importantly in the face of a bully it is important to stand up for yourself," she said on her website. "My two young children have witnessed the importance of standing up for their values no matter how hard it is. Not only have I fought (for) 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." (More Katy Perry stories.)

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