Katy Perry has been in a long-running trademark battle against Australian designer Katie Perry. Now, after 16 years, a decision has finally been made in the case.
Keep reading to learn more.
Australian designer Katie Perry has won a long-standing trademark case against American singer Katy Perry. The High Court of Australia on Wednesday, March 11, ruled that the designer had not harmed the singer’s reputation or misled consumers with her clothing brand named after herself, which she started in 2007.
Katy Perry, whose real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, had been locked in a legal feud for more than a decade with Katie Perry, who, since getting married, now goes by the name Katie Taylor. She has been selling clothing under her brand “Katie Perry” since 2008, both online and on social media.
In 2009, Katy Perry’s lawyers sent her a cease-and-desist letter regarding the brand.
“I had never heard of the singer when I started my label,” Taylor said, adding that she first heard of the singer in mid-2008 when the song I Kissed a Girl was playing on the radio.
“I was simply building a fashion business under the name I was born with,” she clarified. In 2019, Taylor sued and won against Perry, claiming that the singer’s sale of sweatpants, hoodies, jackets, and other merchandise during a 2014 tour infringed on her trademark.
In 2024, that ruling was overturned on appeal, with judges stating that the singer had been using her name as a trademark five years earlier than when Taylor started her business.
In the most recent verdict, a decision was reached by a 3–2 majority, stating that “given the heightened strength of the reputation of Katy Perry, no ordinary person in Australia, after a moment’s reflection, would think Katie Perry’s products were linked to the singer.”
The ruling also noted that Katy Perry’s eponymous label and her international merchandise distributor, Bravado, had been selling clothing in Australia despite their registrations excluding clothing items, thereby directly infringing Taylor’s trademark.
After the decision was announced, both parties issued statements. The singer’s spokesperson said, “Katy Perry has never sought to close down Ms. Taylor’s business or stop her from selling clothes under the Katie Perry label.”
“Today, by a 3–2 decision, the High Court determined that Ms. Taylor’s trademark can remain on the register,” the statement said, adding that the court had “sent the case back to the Full Federal Court to determine issues raised by Katy Perry, including Ms. Taylor’s 10-year delay in bringing her case.”
In a statement posted on Taylor’s brand website, she said the decision shows that “even small Australian businesses” can stand up for their rights.
“This case has never just been about a name,” the statement said. “It has been about protecting small businesses in Australia, standing up for what’s right, and showing that we all matter.”
Taylor also appeared on A Current Affair, a well-known Australian news show. She said one of the main reasons she took Perry to court was to set an example for her children.
This is not the first time Katy Perry has made headlines over a lawsuit. In 2015, Perry attempted to purchase a former convent in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, for $14.5 million. However, two nuns — Sister Catherine Rose Holzman and Sister Rita Callanan — objected to the sale that had already been approved by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Sister Holzman sadly died during a post-judgment court hearing. Following the incident and the backlash surrounding the case, Perry ultimately did not proceed with the property purchase.
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