Photo Credit: Getty Images
Taylor Swift's lawyers have fired back at a lawsuit from former Las Vegas performer Maren Flagg, who claims the singer's album The Life of a Showgirl infringes on her trademarked phrase Confessions of a Showgirl.
Flagg, who performs under the name Maren Wade, trademarked the phrase in 2015 and used it for a column, podcast, and cabaret shows.
In her filing, she argued the two titles are "strikingly similar," saying they share "the same structure, the same dominant phrase, and the same overall commercial impression."
The lawsuit, filed in March in California, asks the court to block Swift from selling merchandise tied to the album.
Flagg's attorney Jaymie Parkkinen told CBS News, "She registered it. She earned it. We have great respect for Swift's talent and success, but trademark law exists to ensure that creators at all levels can protect what they've built."
Swift's legal team responded in a brief filed May 6, dismissing the claims. "This motion, just like Maren Flagg's lawsuit, should never have been filed," the filing stated.
The lawyers accused Flagg of trying to "use Taylor Swift's name and intellectual property to prop up her brand."
They also rejected the idea that consumers could confuse Swift's stadium tours with Flagg's cabaret shows.
"Plaintiff attempts to broadly lump her cabaret show and defendants' musical album together as 'entertainment services.' That comparison is absurd," the brief said.
It noted Flagg performs "if at all, in small intimate venues" such as retirement communities, supper clubs, and 90-seat theaters.
Swift's team questioned why Flagg waited nearly eight months after the album's announcement to claim "irreparable harm."
They argued that during that time, Flagg reshaped her own branding around the album, posting more than 40 times on Instagram and TikTok about The Life of a Showgirl.
One filing claimed she even used Swift's artwork, hashtags like #swifties, and audio from the title track to promote herself. "Each of these advertisements constitutes actionable infringement," the lawyers wrote.
Flagg's side insists Swift's album sales damage her brand, saying, "Each additional sale compounds the confusion in the marketplace."
Her attorney told Billboard they plan to move forward: "We look forward to filing our response next week."
Swift's lawyers maintain the album title is protected under the First Amendment. No trial date has been set.
