Taylor Swift may not have been the first musician to utter the words “This sick beat,” but if the shrewd superstar has her way, she could be the last.
Last October, days prior to the launch of her blockbuster album 1989, it turns out Swift stealthily filed trademarks for some of her catchier lyrical stylings, including “Nice to meet you. Where you been?,” “Could show you incredible things” and “Cause we never go out of style.”
The trademarks, which have not yet been granted, would apply to a dizzying array of product categories, from cosmetics to key chains to tote bags to temporary tattoos.
While other celebrities have attempted to copyright catchphrases in the past, such as Paris Hilton’s legal wrangling with Hallmark over “That’s hot,” the Guardian reports that this is the first time an artist has attempted to trademark her own lyrics.
The filing likely points to a pre-emptive strike against third parties who would seek to profit off of Swift’s songs as opposed to a forthcoming line of 1989-themed products, according to The Guardian. However, Swift does currently vend a ‘This Sick Beat’ long-sleeved T-shirt on her online store.
Known for her cheer-along choruses, unparalleled album sales and impermeable image, a closer look into Swift’s empire reveals a fiercely calculated business mind poised to crush any obstacles -- includinghackers, naysayers and Kanye West -- on the path to global domination.
Last November, in a similarly self-protective move that shook the music industry, Swift pulled her catalogue from Spotify, saying she felt that the streaming service devalued her work’s worth. At the time, Swift reiterated a rambling op-ed she’d penned for The Wall Street Journal in which she proclaimed herself “one of the few living souls in the music industry who still believes that the music industry is not dying…it's just coming alive."
Geoff Weiss
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