An Australian fashion designer named Katie Perry has won a High Court trademark case against American pop star Katy Perry, in a ruling that protects the designer's right to use her own name in business.
The High Court found that the pop star's use of the name Katy Perry on merchandise sold in Australia infringed on the designer's established trademark. Katie Perry, the designer, had been using her name in business since 2008—before the pop star's merchandise entered the Australian market.
A small Australian business owner just beat one of the world's biggest pop stars in the country's highest court. It's a David and Goliath story about trademark law, but also about whether being famous overseas gives you the right to steamroll locals who got there first.
The case turned on the question of who had established the name first in Australia's fashion market. The designer argued she had built a business using her legal name before the pop star's team began selling merchandise locally. The High Court agreed.
The decision received significant attention online, with 3,211 upvotes and 280 comments on the Australia subreddit. Many commenters celebrated the outcome as a victory for small business against celebrity overreach.
The pop star's legal team had argued that her global fame meant consumers would associate the name Katy Perry with the singer, not the designer. The court rejected this argument, finding that trademark rights belong to whoever establishes them first in the relevant market—regardless of international fame.
The ruling means the designer can continue using her own name for her fashion business in Australia, while the pop star's merchandise operations may need to rebrand or negotiate a licensing agreement.
For trademark law, the case reinforces the principle that prior use matters more than fame. For Australian business owners, it's a reminder that local rights can prevail against international celebrities—if you're willing to fight all the way to the High Court. Not everyone has the resources for that, which makes this designer's victory all the more remarkable.
