Overview
- The complaint, filed Monday in California federal court, names Taylor Swift, TAS Rights Management, UMG Recordings and Bravado as defendants.
- Plaintiff Maren Wade says she has used and registered “Confessions of a Showgirl” since 2015, with rights described in reports as incontestable and covering live shows, theater and related media.
- The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused Swift’s bid to register “The Life of a Showgirl” last year and suspended it in early March, citing a likely confusion with Wade’s existing mark.
- Wade seeks a permanent injunction and monetary relief, alleging Swift used the album title as a source‑identifying brand on merchandise and across retail channels that target her audience.
- Her suit argues Swift’s larger platform has created reverse confusion that drowns out her brand, and trademark attorneys quoted in coverage say such cases are hard to win and often settle early.