In her ongoing trademark lawsuit against Taylor Swift, Las Vegas performer Maren Wade has filed for a preliminary injunction to stop sales of merchandise tied to Swift's album 'The Life of a Showgirl,' citing consumer confusion with her 'Confessions of a Showgirl' brand. A hearing is set for May 27 in Los Angeles federal court.
Following her March 30 trademark infringement lawsuit against Taylor Swift, Maren Wade (legal name Maren Flagg) filed a motion Tuesday for a preliminary injunction to block sales of Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' merchandise, including tumblers, candles, hairbrushes, and items across 14 international classes via storefronts and collaborations.
Wade, who built her brand around a 2014 column, live show, tour, book, podcast, and registered trademark, notes the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected Swift's mark application as confusingly similar. Despite this, Swift proceeded with merch sales.
The motion highlights materialized confusion: eight of 10 Google searches for Wade's mark lead to Swift's album, with YouTube dominated by Swift content. It describes 'textbook reverse confusion' where Swift's dominance displaces Wade's mark.
Wade's attorney, Jaymie Parkkinen, emphasized to Rolling Stone that Wade spent over a decade building her brand and that trademark law protects creators. Wade initially engaged positively on Instagram with Swift hashtags but has since stopped, warning of 'progressive erasure' without intervention.
A Swift representative did not comment. This updates coverage of the lawsuit filed March 30.