Swift: brand fight and privacy

Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” branding is now tied up in a trademark fight that has reached Spain while privacy rules tightened around a recent New York outing. (elperiodico.com) (cinemablend.com) The legal dispute started on March 30, 2026, when Las Vegas performer Maren Wade sued in California over Swift’s use of “The Life of a Showgirl,” saying it conflicts with Wade’s “Confessions of a Showgirl” mark. Wade’s claims include trademark infringement, false designation of origin and unfair competition, and the suit also names UMG Recordings. (elperiodico.com) (billboard.com) The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had already refused Swift’s application in November 2025, citing a likelihood of confusion with Wade’s earlier mark. El Periódico reported on April 21 that Swift’s international filing, registered through the World Intellectual Property Organization in Madrid under No. 1896754, is now part of that wider dispute and is still in an early stage. (elperiodico.com) Under the Madrid system, one filing can be extended across multiple countries, but each country still decides whether to grant protection. Pons IP’s Pablo López Ronda told Prensa Ibérica that an international registration also depends on the U.S. base mark for its first five years, so a full or partial U.S. refusal can undermine protection abroad. (elperiodico.com) Wade says she has been building “Confessions of a Showgirl” since 2014 through a Las Vegas Weekly column and later through live shows, audiovisual projects and a podcast. Her lawyer, Jaymie Parkkinen, said smaller artists also rely on trademark law when a larger act enters the same commercial space. (diariodemallorca.es) Billboard reported on March 31 that Wade’s registered mark dates to 2015 for a touring cabaret show, and on April 7 it reported she asked a judge to halt sales of Swift merchandise tied to the album while the case proceeds. The requested block covers products including clothing, drinkware, candles and hairbrushes, not the music itself. (billboard.com 1) (billboard.com 2) At the same time, a separate fight over control played out offline at Casa Cipriani in New York. CinemaBlend reported on April 20 that the club took a tougher approach during a recent Swift and Travis Kelce visit after earlier breaches led to members losing access for taking photos. (cinemablend.com) Casa Cipriani’s published bylaws say photography, filming and social-media posting are “strictly forbidden” on club premises, and members can have membership canceled at the proprietor’s discretion. The same rules say members and guests must refrain from using phones and other electronic devices after 6 p.m., with calls limited to designated areas. (casaciprianinewyork.com) CinemaBlend, citing Page Six’s April 19 report, said the club told terrace guests to put phones away before Swift and Kelce arrived. The outlet linked that move to a 2023 incident involving Swift and Matty Healy, when photos from inside the club surfaced online and Page Six reported that at least three memberships were revoked. (cinemablend.com) (pagesix.com) Swift’s team had not publicly answered the Spain-focused trademark coverage in the sources reviewed here, and the Casa Cipriani reports rely on entertainment outlets rather than a club statement about that specific night. But both stories turned on the same practical question in April 2026: who controls the name, the image and the room around Taylor Swift. (elperiodico.com) (cinemablend.com)