Taylor Swift is pushing again towards the lawsuit over her album The Lifetime of a Showgirl!
As we beforehand reported, Maren Flagg sued the pop star, UMG Recordings, and Bravado Worldwide Group Merchandising Providers Inc in March for copyright infringement. She claims she constructed her personal model, Confessions of a Showgirl, in Las Vegas over the previous 12 years, and now fears that as a result of Taylor is such a world icon, anybody who stumbles throughout her stuff will suppose she copied the singer. Maren additionally alleges she trademarked Confessions of a Showgirl in 2015, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace declined the Evermore artist’s software to register The Lifetime of a Showgirl as a result of it was too just like hers. Nonetheless, Tay moved ahead with the merchandising anyway.
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So, Maren — who goes by Maren Wade when she performs — is asking to cease utilizing The Lifetime of a Showgirl on Taylor’s merch and companies. She can be demanding undisclosed damages for her claims of trademark infringement, false designation, and unfair competitors. Now, Taylor is firing again at Maren!
In accordance with Selection, her attorneys slammed the Vegas performer in a short on Wednesday, calling the lawsuit “absurd.” They wrote:
“This movement, similar to Maren Flagg’s lawsuit, ought to by no means have been filed. It’s merely Ms. Flagg’s newest try to make use of Taylor Swift’s identify and mental property to prop up her model… Plaintiff makes an attempt to broadly lump her cabaret present and defendants’ musical album collectively as ‘leisure companies.’ That comparability is absurd.”
The legal professionals argue there’s a slim likelihood of anybody complicated Taylor’s stadium tour with Maren’s cabaret appearances, as Maren “performs, if in any respect, in small intimate venues, corresponding to a: ’55+ energetic group,’ ’55+ golf resort’; ‘RV & Golf Resort’; ’90 seat cabaret-style venue’ that provides dinner; resort; and personal supper membership.” They added:
“Her web site lists no upcoming performances.”
Taylor’s staff additionally accuses Maren of spending a number of months associating herself with The Lifetime of a Showgirl earlier than suing her eight months after the album’s announcement. The transient claims:
“For the reason that album announcement, plaintiff has reframed her model across the album, flooding her social media accounts with posts trying to align herself with Ms. Swift and the album. Previous to the album announcement, plaintiff had by no means used ‘the lifetime of a showgirl’ in her social media promotion. Following the announcement, plaintiff used the phrase or posted usually about Ms. Swift or the album over 40 instances on her branded Instagram and TikTok accounts.”
Her attorneys aren’t unsuitable! Have a look (under):
Due to all that, together with Maren launching a podcast allegedly “mimicking” The Lifetime of a Showgirl aesthetic, Taylor’s attorneys hinted they might go after her for utilizing the musician’s music and imagery! Whoa!
“Removed from displaying any concern concerning the album after its announcement, Ms. Flagg spent a number of months centering her model on ‘The Lifetime of a Showgirl’s’ identify, art work, music, and lyrics to advertise her little-known cabaret present. In truth, a mere 4 days after Ms. Swift introduced her album title and art work in August 2025, Ms. Flagg introduced a brand-new podcast mimicking Ms. Swift’s Album art work, emblem, title, and taglines. Then, plaintiff flooded her Instagram and TikTok pages with 40+ ads for her model utilizing Ms. Swift’s music, emblems, and different mental property with out permission. Every of those ads constitutes actionable infringement, and TASRM [TAS Rights Management] will probably be pursuing acceptable cures for that…”
The transient added:
“In a single submit, plaintiff used an album cowl emblem, audio from the album title monitor, hashtags together with #thelifeofashowgirl; #swifties; #ts12; and #taylornation, and mentioned an official album launch occasion. Along with trying to confuse shoppers, plaintiff’s business use of Ms. Swift’s artwork constitutes clear infringement underneath federal regulation.”
And her authorized staff is pulling out all of the stops to battle again on this lawsuit! Moreover, they insist that it doesn’t matter what, Taylor’s album title is protected by the First Modification! The attorneys point out Rogers v. Grimaldi and Misplaced Int’l, LLC v. Germanotta, which concerned a surfboard firm accusing Woman GaGa of appropriating the Mayhem album title and emblem.
Primarily based on these circumstances, they argue that “if a piece is expressive, a plaintiff can’t set up infringement with out displaying the title (1) is both not artistically related to the underlying work; or (2) explicitly misleads as to the supply or content material of the work. It’s because titles of expressive works ‘implicate the First Modification rights of freedom of speech’ and ‘shoppers are much less prone to mistake using another person’s mark in an expressive work for an indication of affiliation, authorship, or endorsement.” Subsequently, they are saying songs and albums titles are “the core sort of expressive First Modification work that Rogers protects.”
Moreover, the legal professionals word that works with comparable titles have been launched since Maren obtained her trademark, together with Confessions of a Goddess, Confessions of a Vegas Showgirl, Portrait of a Showgirl, and The Final Showgirl, and he or she had no points with any of these.
Regardless of Taylor’s response and menace of authorized motion, Maren will not be backing down! Her legal professional, Jaymie Parkkinen, advised Billboard that she is going to transfer ahead with the swimsuit:
“We learn it. Defendants assert First Modification safety for napkins and hairbrushes. We stay up for submitting our response subsequent week.”
Rattling!
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[Image via MEGA/WENN, Taylor Swift/YouTube]
