An Australian fashion designer has secured a major legal victory after nearly two decades of battling global pop star Katy Perry over the right to use the name “Katie Perry.”
The High Court of Australia decided in favor of designer Katie Taylor, who was born Katie Perry, bringing an end to a long-running trademark dispute that had stretched for almost 20 years.
According to reports by CNN and BBC, the court ruled that the designer’s fashion label does not violate trademark laws or create confusion among consumers. The judgment overturned an earlier appeal that had ordered the cancellation of her brand name.
The court found that the designer had legally registered her brand using her birth name before the singer expanded into the clothing industry.
Because she had been trading under the name earlier, the court concluded she had the legal right to continue using it for her fashion label.
The ruling means the Australian business owner can keep selling garments under the “Katie Perry” brand name — closing one of the entertainment industry’s most unusual trademark battles.
Speaking about the dispute, Taylor recalled the moment she first received a legal warning from the singer’s lawyers.
She said she had just launched her first showroom in 2007 when the letter arrived demanding she stop using the name.
“Just picture it. I had just launched my first showroom. I arrived back in the showroom, there were empty champagne glasses everywhere,” she said.
“I opened my post and all I remember is looking at this paper that said, cease and desist — stop sale of your clothes, stop any website and stop any advertising material.”
At the time, Katy Perry; born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson — was rapidly becoming a global pop sensation.
Her songs I Kissed a Girl and Hot N Cold were topping charts in 2008 and around the world as she prepared for an international tour.
Taylor later told the BBC she had never heard of the singer when she started her business.
“I was simply building a fashion business under the name I was born with,” she said.
Before the singer’s first tour in Australia in 2009, her legal team reportedly asked the designer to cancel her trademark application, even though it had already been filed months earlier.
“I remember bursting into tears and thinking, what is this all about? I haven’t done anything wrong,” she said.
The legal battle dragged on for years.
In 2023, the designer won a lawsuit claiming that merchandise sold during the singer’s tours — including hoodies and T-shirts — infringed on her trademark.
However, that decision was overturned in 2024 when judges ruled that the singer had been using her famous name as a brand long before the designer’s business began.
Following the latest High Court ruling, Taylor described the verdict as deeply emotional.
“Honestly, it kind of feels like a dream. I keep thinking, like, oh my god, has this actually happened?” she said in a statement.
“This has been an incredibly long and difficult journey. But today confirms what I always believed — that trademarks should protect businesses of all sizes.”
A representative for Katy Perry said in a statement that the singer never intended to shut down the Australian designer’s business.
“Katy Perry has never sought to close down Ms. Taylor’s business or stop her selling clothes under the KATIE PERRY label,” the statement read.
After the verdict, Taylor shared a video on social media celebrating the ruling and thanking supporters who stood by her throughout the long court fight.
“I’m incredibly proud of the business I’ve built here in Australia and deeply grateful for the support I’ve received along the way,” she said.
“This feels like a win not just for me, but for small businesses everywhere.”
Supporters quickly flooded her posts with congratulatory messages.
One Instagram user wrote, “What wonderful news! What a remarkable end to a harrowing and long journey for you.” Another added, “Not only for the win but for persevering and doing what is right.”