Taylor Swift Seeks Dismissal of 'Showgirl' Suit as 3.5 Million First-Week Sales Loom Over Trademark Fight
Updated
Updated · Music Business Worldwide · May 28
Taylor Swift Seeks Dismissal of 'Showgirl' Suit as 3.5 Million First-Week Sales Loom Over Trademark Fight
8 articles · Updated · Music Business Worldwide · May 28
Tuesday’s motion asks a California federal court to throw out Maren Flagg’s trademark suit, arguing the complaint fails to state a viable claim and lacks personal jurisdiction over Swift and TAS Rights Management.
Swift’s lawyers say Flagg improperly lumps four defendants together more than 90 times and cannot plausibly show consumers would confuse her cabaret show, book, podcast and videos with Swift’s album and merchandise.
The filing also attacks Flagg’s reliance on a USPTO refusal, saying it was a non-final office action on an intent-to-use application and did not find likely confusion for most listed goods and services.
Flagg’s lawyer objected that the dismissal motion was filed before the local rule’s 7-day meet-and-confer window and just before a May 27 injunction hearing; Judge Serena Murillo said she would rule on that request in writing.
Flagg sued in March over Swift’s 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl, which sold nearly 3.5 million copies in its first week; a hearing on the dismissal motion is set for August 5.
Is a Las Vegas performer's lawsuit a legitimate brand defense or a calculated publicity stunt against Taylor Swift?
When a superstar's album mirrors a small artist's brand, does free speech protection outweigh trademark law?
Can an independent artist truly protect their brand when a global superstar uses a similar name for an album?