Australia’s High Court has ruled in favor of fashion designer Katie Perry in a prolonged trademark dispute with American pop star Katy Perry, the BBC reported.
In a decision delivered on Wednesday, the court determined that the designer’s clothing label did not damage the singer’s reputation or create confusion among consumers. The ruling allows the designer’s trademark to remain registered.
Perry launched her fashion brand under the name «Katie Perry» in 2007. In 2014, when Katy Perry was on tour in Australia and merchandise bearing her name appeared across the country, the designer took legal action against the singer.
A court initially sided with the designer in 2023, finding that the sale of items such as jackets, hoodies, T-shirts and sweatpants during the tour infringed on her trademark. However, that judgment was overturned on appeal in 2024, and the designer’s trademark was cancelled.
The High Court has now reversed that outcome. Judges concluded that the singer’s reputation in Australia is so well established that consumers would not assume any connection between the musician and the designer’s clothing brand.
A representative for the American singer said she had never intended to shut down the designer’s business or prevent her from selling clothing under the «Katie Perry» label.
Last year, media reports also linked Katy Perry to a legal dispute with 85-year-old Carl Westcott over a multimillion-dollar mansion in Montecito. Perry reportedly purchased the property in 2020 for $15 million. However, shortly after the sale, Westcott attempted to cancel the deal, claiming he was not mentally competent when he signed the contract.
The singer has also remained in the spotlight for her music and personal life. She recently received praise for the song «Bandaids,» which she released following her breakup with actor Orlando Bloom, and was later spotted on a yacht with former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.
