Katie Perry wins Australian trademark case against Katy Perry
An Australian fashion designer is celebrating a big win over singer Katy Perry in a years-long case related to the trademark of her name.
Fashion designer Katie Perry says she is "over the moon" after Australia's High Court ruled in her favour in a trademark case involving American singer Katy Perry.
The two women have been at loggerheads over the use of their names Down Under.
Katie used her birth name to launch a clothing brand in 2007, while Katy, who was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, gained global fame with her 2008 single, 'I Kissed a Girl'.
In 2009, Katie, who says she did not even know the singer existed when she started her label, received a letter from Katy's lawyers demanding that she "stop trading under her own name and withdraw her products from sale".
The singer sent the letter ahead of her 'Hello Katy Tour', which was set to kick off in Australia in January that year. The pair reportedly tried to reach an agreement but failed.
Katy later filed her own trademark in the country, which reportedly did not include clothing.
Ten years later, things heated up when the designer, now using her married name, Katie Taylor, sued Katy for trademark infringement over the sale of branded merchandise, including clothing, during her 2014 and 2015 tour in Australia.
While Katie initially won her case against the singer, she later lost an appeal along with her 'Katie Perry' trademark.
In 2024, a panel of judges overturned the previous ruling, finding that Katy's reputation was much stronger than Katie's in Australia, and her ongoing use of the trademark could cause confusion among the singer's fans.
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This week, the High Court of Australia ruled that she can continue to sell clothing under 'Katie Perry'.
"As a small business owner and a mother of two young children, this process has been incredibly demanding," Katie said on her website.
The businesswoman also took to social media to celebrate the victory.
"Nearly 20 years ago, I started designing clothing under the name I was born with, Katie Perry. What followed became a very long legal journey that many people described as a 'David & Goliath' battle. I simply wanted to build a fashion label under my own name," she captioned an Instagram video.
Katie adds that many people told her to just give up, but she refused to stop believing in herself and her small business.
"For me, the focus now is simply getting back to what I love doing... designing clothing and supporting Australian manufacturing. It’s been a long road, but I’m excited to move forward."
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