Taylor Swift trademarked some lines from her "1989" album such as "This Sick Beat," according to Sydney Morning Herald.
The said album has achieved total sales of 4 million copies in the US alone. Putting Swift's trademark on the lyrics will prohibit others from printing it on materials such as shirts, bags, stickers and more.
In addition, some unusual items are included in the trademark rule such as Christmas stockings, walking sticks, typewriters, pot holders, aprons, lanyards, non-medicated toiletries, whalebone, napkin holders and knitting implements." Weirder merchandises are added namely "harness, saddler and whips."
Other lines trademarked are "Party like its 1989," "Cause We Never Go Out Of Style," "Could Show You Incredible Things" and "Nice to Meet You, Where You Been?" If the lyrics are to be used, special characters like TM and ®should be indicated.
Although there are rumors that the trademark has been finalized, Swift's move is still under application. The singer is waiting for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to approve her request.
There are many questions if Swift can actually trademark the lyrics and what will this lead to. NYU Law professor Christopher Sprigman said that anyone can trademark anything but there are some rules to follow. The trademark should not be generic or common terms such as "salt" or "salty," Time reported.
A company can also trademark words that do not have connection to the actual product such as Apple for selling gadgets but Apple for selling apples or other related products is prohibited. Sprigman added that "This Sick Beat" does not actually match to a Christmas stocking so Swift can trademark it.
The law professor said that this is a good move from Swift since due to technology and streaming; musicians must find other ways to gain profit.
There is no confirmation if Swift was the one who initiated the trademark move but the pop star is known to be the in control of her career. Swift has previously talked about the challenge of coming up with her "1989" album.
The "Shake it Off" singer revealed that she took the risk of changing the direction of her music in the new album. Swift's management and label team appeared a little hesitant and asked her if she was certain about her decision. The pop star was determined and laid out to her team what she planned to do.
Swift is set for a world tour this year for her album "1989."