Katy Perry loses trademark battle to Australian designer

By Tolulope Oke

American pop star Katy Perry has lost a trademark dispute against Australian fashion designer Katie Perry, who has now secured the right to sell clothing under her name.

Australia’s High Court of Australia ruled in favour of the local designer, bringing an end to a long-running legal battle between the two women over the “Katie Perry” clothing trademark.

The designer had accused the global pop star of trademark infringement, arguing she registered and used the “Katie Perry” name for her clothing label before the singer rose to worldwide fame.

However, the American singer insisted her music had already gained global popularity around 2008 — the same period the designer began selling clothes, and sought to have the Australian trademark cancelled.

An Australian court initially ruled in favour of the singer in 2024, ordering that the clothing trademark be scrapped.

But the High Court overturned that decision on appeal, holding that there was little likelihood consumers would confuse the Australian clothing brand with the internationally known pop star.

A representative for the singer said that despite the legal dispute, Perry “has never sought to close down” the Australian designer’s business.

The ruling effectively allows the Australian designer to continue selling fashion items under the “Katie Perry” brand.