Lawyers representing both sides in the Taylor Swift ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ trademark dispute have continued to battle it out in court, clashing over claims of “reverse confusion” surrounding the album’s title.
The legal case stems from a lawsuit filed in March by former Las Vegas performer Maren Wade, who alleges that the pop superstar knowingly ignored her existing rights to a similar name.
Wade has accused Swift and UMG Recordings of trademark infringement, false designation and unfair competition. She is seeking unspecified financial damages as well as a court order preventing Swift from continuing to use the title of her chart-topping album.
During a hearing held in Downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 27, Swift’s attorneys argued that Wade’s demands conflict with First Amendment protections and fail to align with “common sense”, according to Rolling Stone.
The defence maintained that ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ does not violate Wade’s trademark for ‘Confessions Of A Showgirl’, arguing that Swift’s album is “undisputed” to be “a classic expressive work” and therefore protected under the law.
Swift’s legal team also argued that for Wade’s claims to succeed, she would need to demonstrate that audiences attending her performances, listening to her podcast or reading her book were doing so because they believed the material was connected to Swift or represented “a Swift-sponsored activity”.
“I don’t see how that could ever happen. For them to prevail, it’s not realistic,” he said.
The cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ album. Credit: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot
The cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ album. Credit: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot
In response, Wade’s attorney emphasised that his client owns the federally registered trademark for “Confessions of a Showgirl”. He also pointed to the fact that the US Patent and Trademark Office rejected Swift’s application to register ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ as a trademark, citing concerns that it could create confusion because of similarities to Wade’s existing mark.
He further argued that the trademark had been associated with only one individual since its registration in 2014, until Swift’s album arrived. “When a consumer [now] types her exact registered mark into Google, autocomplete suggests [Swift]. That’s reverse confusion,” the lawyer argued.
“[Wade] owns the mark, and defendant’s conduct is eroding it. Money cannot fix that.”
Wade’s legal representative also claimed there were broader similarities between the two artists that could contribute to consumer confusion. Both are solo female performers, appear on stage, create recorded entertainment and, in his view, each “embody the showgirl story and aesthetic”.
He went on to note that while Swift controls a large portfolio of trademarks, ‘Confessions Of A Showgirl’ remains the only brand identity Wade has cultivated over the past decade.
“She has no portfolio of alternative brands, no corporate backing, and no global marketing operation to compete for consumer attention,” the lawyer continued. “Defendants have all of these. That asymmetry is directly relevant to the equities, and it tips in the plaintiff’s favour.”
In response, Swift’s legal team argued that Wade saw an opportunity after learning about the album title and had “was very much affiliating herself with Ms. Swift for eight months” in an attempt to achieve “commercial gain”.
Wade’s attorney pushed back against that claim, arguing that his client had spent 12 years building her brand only to watch the trademark she established become “absorbed in real time into a multi-billion dollar commercial machine”.
When the lawsuit was originally filed in March, Wade requested an emergency pause on sales of ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ until the dispute could be resolved. No immediate ruling was issued at the time, and following this week’s hearing, the judge stated that she would “issue a written ruling shortly”.
Swift’s ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ was released in October 2025 and was later confirmed as the UK’s best-selling album of the year. The achievement made Swift the first artist since ABBA in 1977 to have the nation’s top-selling album in consecutive years with two different releases.
