TIME

Why Taylor Swift Is Going to War With Twee Retailer Etsy

Musician Taylor Swift
Michael Stewart—WireImage Taylor Swift has also trademarked our hearts.

She's not gonna shake off trademark violations

The Taylor Swift trademark crackdown continues. The pop star has singled out Etsy sellers hawking wares featuring her likeness and sent them cease-and-desist letters, according to BuzzFeed. Several Swift-themed items, including candles adorned with lyrics from her hit “Blank Space” and mugs that mimic the album art for 1989 are no longer available on the site. One Etsy seller told BuzzFeed that she was “shocked” to receive a cease-and-desist letter from Swift’s rights management company and said she was making her items for fun, not for profit. Etsy’s policies ban products that violate trademarks or copyrights.

Earlier this year Swift applied to trademark several phrases from 1989, including “this sick beat” and “party like it’s 1989.” One musician wrote a metal song titled “This Sick Beat” in protest.

[BuzzFeed]

PHOTOS: See Taylor Swift Over the Years

2006 CMT Music Awards - Arrivals 2007 CMT Music Awards - Red Carpet 42nd Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards - Show 2008 ACM New Artists Party For A Cause The 42nd Annual CMA Awards - Arrivals Saturday Night Live The Brit Awards 2009 - Arrivals 44th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards All-Star Jam Taylor Swift in Concert 2009 MTV Video Music Awards - Arrivals The 43rd Annual CMA Awards - Show The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Show Taylor Swift drops one of her awards dur Taylor Swift 13 hours on the 13th. & some songs Grand Ole Opry 85th Birthday Bash 44th Annual CMA Awards - Show taylor Swift attends the 'Alexander McQu 2012 MTV Video Music Awards - Show BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards - Show BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards - Show Taylor Swift Switches On Westfield London Christmas Lights 26th Annual ARIA Awards 2012 - Arrivals 26th Annual ARIA Awards 2012 - Show KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2012 - Night 1 - Show Taylor Swift At Gillette Stadium 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Show Taylor Swift Lives In Shanghai 2014 American Music Awards - Show 2014 American Music Awards - Roaming Show The Voice - Season 7 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Show KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2014  Powered by LINE  - Show
Tap to read full story

Your browser is out of date. Please update your browser at http://update.microsoft.com


YOU BROKE TIME.COM!

Dear TIME Reader,

As a regular visitor to TIME.com, we are sure you enjoy all the great journalism created by our editors and reporters. Great journalism has great value, and it costs money to make it. One of the main ways we cover our costs is through advertising.

The use of software that blocks ads limits our ability to provide you with the journalism you enjoy. Consider turning your Ad Blocker off so that we can continue to provide the world class journalism you have become accustomed to.

The TIME Team