Pop star Katy Perry has lost a copyright battle against an Australian-based fashion designer, Katie Perry.
Katie Taylor, who sells clothes under a label with her birth name ‘Katie Perry’, had filed a lawsuit in 2019 alleging the singer ignored the trademark and sold Katy Perry branded clothes during her concerts in the country in 2014 and 2018.
Australian federal court judge Brigitte Markovic ruled that Katy Perry’s company Kitty Purry partially infringed the trademark of Katie Taylor’s business.
It mostly sells clothes online, by promoting the singer’s products through posts on social media, according to court filings.
Damages will be decided at a later date.
“This is a tale of two women, two teenage dreams and one name,” Judge Markovic said in her ruling.
The judge dismissed a bid by the singer seeking to cancel the Katie Perry trademark.
Ms Taylor called the verdict a “David and Goliath” win for small businesses.
“Not only have I fought 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," she said.
The legal battle initially began in 2008 when Taylor registered the “Katie Perry” brand in Australia.
Katy Perry initially tried to block the registration and later engaged lawyers to try to force the designer to cease and forever desist from using the mark but later abandoned the move, Ms Taylor said.
The Standard has contacted representatives of Katy Perry - the singer - for comment.
