An Australian fashion designer has won a long-running trademark dispute against pop star Katy Perry after a legal battle that lasted more than a decade.
The case involved Sydney-based designer Katie Taylor, who runs a clothing label under the name “Katie Perry.” The dispute focused on who had the legal right to sell clothing using the similar names Katie Perry and Katy Perry.
The disagreement dates back to 2009, when the singer was preparing for her Hello Katy tour in Australia.
The designer had already applied to use the name for her clothing brand in 2007 and later filed to register the “Katie Perry” trademark for apparel in 2008. According to court findings, she said she had not heard of the singer at the time she first chose the name.
The singer, whose real name is Katheryn Hudson, had started using the stage name Katy Perry years earlier. Her team later sold “Katy Perry” branded merchandise, including clothing, during tours and online.
In May 2009, the singer’s representatives filed a notice opposing the designer’s trademark and sent legal letters asking her to stop using the name.
The legal fight continued for years before reaching Australia’s highest court.
The designer sued in 2019, claiming her trademark had been infringed when the singer sold branded clothing in Australia. She initially won the case, but the decision was later overturned on appeal, with judges ruling that the singer already had a strong reputation that could cause confusion.
The case was then taken to the High Court of Australia, where the final decision was made.
In a majority ruling, the High Court found that the designer’s trademark did not break trademark laws and was unlikely to confuse customers, even though the singer was internationally famous.
The court also noted that the designer had used the name for many years without clear evidence of confusion.
Judges said the singer’s merchandise sales in Australia had been made despite knowing about the registered trademark, describing the actions of her representatives as persistent infringement of the valid mark.
Costs in the case were awarded in favour of the designer.
Court documents also included emails from 2009 showing that the singer’s manager, Steven Jensen, was aware of the designer’s trademark at the time.
In one email, he wrote that the designer had been trading under the name since 2007 and suggested the situation had been exaggerated by media coverage.
The singer responded saying she wanted to stay out of the situation and did not want to be involved in public statements about the dispute.
After the ruling, the designer said the case was about more than just a name.
She said the decision showed that small businesses could stand up for their rights even when facing a much larger international brand.
The court’s decision allows the “Katie Perry” trademark to remain registered, ending one of the most unusual celebrity trademark battles in recent years.
