Katy Perry loses trademark battle against Australian designer, Katie Perry

Global popstar Katy Perry has lost a court battle against an Australian designer of a similar name, who accused the singer of infringing on her Katie Perry trademark.

The Sydney-based designer, also known as Katie Taylor, first filed the lawsuit in 2019, alleging that Perry had ignored her trademark and sold clothing to fans during her concert tours in Australia in 2014 and 2018.

Following a lengthy battle, the Federal Court of Australia officially ruled in Taylor’s favour, stating that Perry’s Kitty Purry brand had partially infringed on the small business. Damages are set to be decided at a later date.

It isn’t the first time the duo have come head-to-head. Taylor initially filed the trademark in 2008 for her brand, which operates largely via an e-commerce site and its own social media channels.

However, in 2009 the ‘California Gurls’ singer attempted to shut down the Katie Perry filing in a move that was later withdrawn, Taylor said.

Now, Taylor acclaimed the latest verdict as a “David and Goliath” case in a post on her Instagram account, where she further stated that she had “resisted an attack”.

She continued: “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.”