Katie Taylor, an Australian fashion designer who sells clothing under her birth name Katie Perry, sued pop star Katy Perry for trademark infringement. She claimed that Katy Perry’s merchandise violated a trademark she owned. On Friday, a judge agreed that clothing sold for Katy’s 2014 Australian tour did breach Katie’s trademark.
Justice Brigitte Markovic, who delivered the ruling, described it as “a tale of two women, two teenage dreams, and one name.” She stated that the Teenage Dream singer, who was born Katheryn Hudson, used the Katy Perry name in “good faith” and did not owe any personal compensation to the designer.
However, the judge ordered that Katy Perry’s company, Kitty Purry, must pay damages, which will be decided next month. The designer started selling clothes under the brand name Katie Perry in 2007 and registered it as a trademark in Australia the following year.
Katy Perry was ruled to have infringed the trademark by promoting a jacket advertising her album Roar, “Cozy Little Christmas” hoodies, T-shirts, sweatpants, and scarves on social media. The judge, however, rejected further claims relating to sales in certain stores and websites and merchandise for a 2018 tour. Justice Markovic also dismissed a bid by the pop star to cancel the Katie Perry trademark.
The designer described the outcome as a victory in a “David and Goliath” case, stating that she had fought for herself and for small businesses in the country that often find themselves up against overseas entities with much more financial power.
