Taylor Swift’s Lawyer to Judge: ‘Life of a Showgirl’ Branding Is Protected by First Amendment
Categoria: Musica
Swift's longtime attorney appeared in Los Angeles court on Wednesday (May 27) to fight a lawsuit over the title of her record-smashing latest album.
Por Billboard | 27/05/2026
Taylor Swift ’s longtime lawyer argued in court on Wednesday (May 27) that the First Amendment protects The Life of a Showgirl from trademark claims. Douglas Baldridge appeared in Los Angeles federal court to oppose Las Vegas performer Maren Wade’s injunction bid . Wade, who puts on a cabaret show called “Confessions of a Showgirl,” alleges Swift’s latest No. 1 album infringes her intellectual property and wants to block The Life of a Showgirl merch sales until the litigation is fully resolved. Related Taylor Swift Fights ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ Trademark Lawsuit: ‘Absurd’ and ‘Meritless’ Judge Serena R. Murillo opened up the hearing by suggesting that her “real concern” in this case is whether The Life of a Showgirl should be shielded from trademark litigation because the album is a piece of art — that is, a so-called expressive work under First Amendment case law. Wade’s attorney, Jaymie Parkkinen , argued on Wednesday that the answer is no because Swift uses the album title not just for music, but also for a massive “branding campaign.” Baldridge, who has represented Swift for years as both outside counsel at the firm Venable and in-house during her record-breaking Eras Tour, countered that The Life of a Showgirl is a “classic expressive work.” He cited Lady Gaga ’s recent court victory in a similar trademark lawsuit over her Mayhem album on artistic expression grounds. “That’s why the First Amendment applies here, and that’s why they can’t get a preliminary injunction, much less win the case,” Baldridge said. Wade, born Maren Flagg, has owned the trademark “Confessions of a Showgirl” since 2015 for her touring cabaret show about the escapades of a modern-day Las Vegas performer. Swift’s company TAS Rights Management sought to trademark the phrase “The Life of a Showgirl” upon the album’s announcement in August, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) preliminarily denied the application due to a likelihood of confusion with Wade’s existing mark. The trademark request remains pending. Related Taylor Swift Lawsuit: Vegas Performer Asks Judge to Bar ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ Merch Sales 'The Breakfast Club' to Stream Live Daily, Commercial-Free on Netflix: 'The Future Belongs to Those Who Can See What's Possible' Woman Accused of Attempting to Murder Rihanna to Face Mental Health Competency Test The Life of a Showgirl debuted atop the Billboard 200 in October with a record 4 million units in its first week, and the album went on to reign atop the chart for 12 weeks. Then came the lawsuit: Wade sued Swift in March, claiming the new era “threatened to swallow” her much smaller business. During Wednesday’s hearing, Parkkinen argued that Wade’s trademark is “being absorbed in real-time.” He said an injunction would make a huge difference for Wade, while any resulting lost profits for Swift or her label partners at Universal Music Group would be nothing more than a “rounding error.”