Australian fashion designer Katie Perry has won a long-running trademark dispute with American pop star Katy Perry, after Australia’s top court ruled in her favour.
The High Court of Australia on Wednesday allowed the designer to continue selling clothing under the “Katie Perry” brand, overturning an earlier ruling that had ordered the trademark to be cancelled.
The legal battle began after the Australian designer accused the global music star of trademark infringement, insisting she had registered and used the “Katie Perry” name for her clothing label before the singer became an international sensation.
However, the American singer argued that her music had already gained widespread popularity around 2008 — the same period the designer began selling clothes — and sought to have the Australian trademark revoked.
An Australian court initially sided with the singer in 2024, ruling that the clothing trademark should be scrapped.
But the High Court, in its latest judgment, held that there was little likelihood consumers would confuse the Australian clothing brand with the internationally known pop star.
A representative for the singer told AFP that despite the legal dispute, the pop star “has never sought to close down” the Australian designer’s business.
