Computer store drops trademark claim against Taylor Swift

On 1^st May the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York revealed the surprising news that ‘Swift’ and ‘Swiftlife’ have dismissed all claims against each other, with each party bearing its own costs. The disputes began back in July 2018 when ‘Swiftlife’ accused the singer’s social networking mobile app “The Swift Life” of being an infringement of its trademark.

Swiftlife is known for computer software repairs, consulting services and the use of computer hardware and software systems and owns the trademark for its goods and services, whilst Taylor Swift’s app was a way of fans sharing pictures and videos with one another of the singer. Despite this Swiftlife argued that the app was launched without first obtaining Swiftlife’s written consent or a license. The computer store also explained how Taylor Swift’s app had caused confusion where individuals had intended to interact with the singer’s app but accidentally contacted the retailer instead.

The complaint said “Even before the app went live, Swiftlife has been flooded with messages from users of the app through the ‘help@swiftlife.com’ email address.” It is rather remarkable that such a highly publicised dispute has been sorted outside the courts.

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Written By Laura Cannon – Solent University Student