Taylor Swift Trademarks Lyrics from ‘1989’
Creative Control or Control Issues? Singer Taylor Swift reportedly patents the lyrics to her songs from latest album ‘1989.’
The 25-year-old pop star wishes to prevent others from using her catchy phrases on commercial items like t-shirts and printed publications without her consent. Swift has trademarked the phrases:
- “This sick beat” – Shake It Off
- “‘Cause we never go out of style” – Style
- “Party Like It’s 1989” – 1989
- “Nice to Meet You; Where You Been?” – Blank Space
- “Could Show You Incredible Things” – Blank Space
Previous examples of catchphrase trademarks in pop culture as reported by USA Today include:
- The Seattle Seahawks have filed trademark applications for “Boom” and the number 12, according to TheSeattle Times.
- Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman registered “height doesn’t measure heart.”
- As soon as he entered the NFL, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III sought trademarks for multiple phrases, including “work hard stay humble” and “light you up,” prompting Washington Post sportswriter Dan Steinberg to warn that RGIII would “soon hold the trademarks for every possible motivational saying in the English language.”
MTV News reports, Swift has 16 pending trademark applications for “this sick beat” alone! She’s targeted non-medicated toiletries, bean bags, ornamental buttons, paper products, all-purpose carrying bags, lanyard and wind chimes. Yes, wind chimes.
For more context, T-Swizzle pulled her entire catalogue from Spotify with the release of 1989, because ‘I think there should be an inherent value placed on art,” she said in an interview with Wall Street Journal. The album debuted at no. 1 on US Billboard charts and sold 1,287,000 copies in its first week, the highest selling week for any album since 2002.
Clearly Ms. Swift is on to something, but her methods are proving more and more unorthodox by the day.
That ish cray! I wonder how Prince feels about this?
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