FKA Twigs wins trademark battle with indie band The Twigs
Time Served: Judge Dismisses Trademark Claims Against FKA Twigs
A decade-long legal battle over intellectual property has reached a decisive conclusion, as a U.S. District Judge has ruled that the claims lodged by indie band The Twigs against artist FKA Twigs are time-barred. The ruling effectively dismisses the infringement claims, finding that the delay in action allowed the legal case to fall by the wayside under the doctrine of laches.
The dispute originated years ago when The Twigs, twin sisters Laura and Linda Good, initially sued FKA Twigs for trademark infringement in 2014. However, the legal saga took a significant detour, marked by years of silence and subsequent arguments concerning the use of fame and intellectual property.
The core of the legal argument centered on whether FKA Twigs had used her greater fame to weaken or destroy the trademark rights of the sisters. Despite the historical context, the focus shifted to the timeline of the claims themselves.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff issued the ruling, emphasizing the principle that legal action cannot be unreasonably delayed. Judge Rakoff noted that the parties were aware of the alleged infringing activity as early as 2013, and the claims were brought much later, demonstrating a lapse of at least a decade.
“The Goods let their claims lie fallow for at least a decade,” the judge stated, highlighting that the inaction—waiting until 2024 and then filing the claims in 2026—made the claims time-barred under the doctrine of laches, which prohibits unreasonable delays in legal action.
While The Twigs argued that this doctrine did not apply to cases involving intentional infringement, the judge firmly disagreed, finding that the evidence did not support the inference that Barnett intended to promote confusion between herself and the sisters.
The immediate implication of the ruling is clear: FKA Twigs cannot be held liable for infringing the trademark “The Twigs”.
However, the legal chapter is not entirely closed. A separate dispute remains active concerning FKA Twigs’ individual application for her own trademark, “FKA Twigs”. Furthermore, the artist still has pending legal claims seeking to stop The Twigs from interfering with her trademark registration process. Evidence discovery must now be conducted before the judge can make a final ruling on these outstanding matters.
Credit
