Katy Perry vs Katie Perry

Two women, two dreams, one name - 29th May 2023

American popstar Katy Perry suffered a legal defeat in an Australian court battle over trademarking rights to Katie Perry, an Australian fashion designer with a strikingly similar name. The saga commenced in 2008 when Katie Perry the designer successfully trademarked her name in Australia to establish her clothing brand. The renowned Teenage Dream songstress Katy Perry made efforts to block the trademark but eventually threw in the towel.

Fast forward six years, during Perry's 2014 Australian tour, she marketed t-shirts and other apparel adorned with her stage name. Nevertheless, half a decade later, Katie Taylor, the real name of designer Katie Perry, launched a lawsuit against the singer, alleging a breach of her trademark. The presiding judge sided with Taylor, ruling that Perry's company, Kitty Purry, had indeed violated the trademark during the sale of merchandise in 2014. The financial damages that Perry's enterprise must bear have yet to be determined.

Nonetheless, there’s a silver lining for the 38-year-old pop icon. Acknowledging Perry’s good faith, Justice Markovic cleared her of intentionally infringing upon the law. Additionally, Markovic dismissed claims that Perry had violated the trademark in 2018. However, Perry's request to nullify the trademark altogether was denied.

For Katie Taylor, the triumph transcends monetary compensation, proclaiming, "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."

This legal confrontation over name trademarks isn’t an isolated incident within the realm of celebrities. In 2015, Kylie Jenner, the younger half sister of Kim Kardashian, endeavoured to secure the trademark for the name "Kylie" in the context of advertising and endorsements. Yet, the renowned singer Kylie Minogue opposed the application, contending that it would jeopardise her brand. The resolution of this clash remains undisclosed, although rumours suggest that the parties reached a settlement, enabling Jenner to proceed with the trademark.

In summarising this enthralling case, Justice Markovic eloquently wrote, "This is a tale of two women, two teenage dreams and one name."