According to a federal lawsuit filed on March 30th by Maren Wade, obtained by TMZ, Taylor Swift has been sued for trademark infringement.
Maren Wade claims that she has spent more than a decade performing under the name at venues across the country, building recognition tied to the phrase, Confessions of a Showgirl, which was registered in 2013.
According to the lawsuit, Wade claims that Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, is too similar, sharing the same structure, dominant phrase, and “overall commercial impression.” Wade claims that the album is swallowing up the brand she’s spent over a decade cultivating.
This can be seen in an Instagram post, where she promoted her Confessions of a Showgirl performance at The Smith Center. A comment bashed the creator by saying, “Ur crap content has nothing to do with Taylor Swifts artistry you fool.”
According to the lawsuit, Wade claims that a similar brand is completely taking over, sending online searches towards Taylor Swift rather than her brand. She also pointed out the use of social media activity, where users have used Wade’s trademarked phrase when discussing Swift’s album.
Wade’s attorney, Jaymie Parkkinen, said they “have great respect for Swift’s talent and success, but trademark law exists to ensure that creators at all levels can protect what they’ve built.”
At the beginning of the month, the United States Patent and Trademark Office suspended a trademark application filed by Swift’s team, who wanted to register The Life of a Showgirl. Wade acknowledged that Swift kept pushing forward with the registration, and according to TMZ, took shots at the pop star by saying she “has no issues enforcing her own trademarks.”
According to the lawsuit, Wade wants an injunction stopping Taylor, her management, her record label, and her merchandise partner from using The Life of a Showgirl on goods and services, as well as damages and attorneys’ fees.