FKA Twigs Wins First Round in Legal Trademark Battle With Indie Band The Twigs
A judge said two sisters cannot sue the Eusexua artist because they "let their claims lie fallow for at least a decade."
A judge has ruled in favor of FKA Twigs in a trademark infringement case brought by indie band The Twigs. The ruling, obtained and reported by Billboard, dismisses the infringement claims filed by The Twigs against FKA Twigs in May. The case, first reported by Billboard, stems from a dispute over the use of the stage name "The Twigs" by FKA Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Barnett.
The band, consisting of twin sisters Laura Good and Linda Good, had originally sued FKA Twigs in 2014, claiming the artist had infringed on their trademark, which they had owned since 1996. However, they dropped the lawsuit after losing an initial injunction request. The dispute flared up again a decade later, with The Twigs arguing that FKA Twigs' greater fame had weakened their own intellectual property.
U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled that the infringement claims were time-barred due to the band's inaction for a decade, citing the "laches" doctrine, which prohibits unreasonable delays in legal action. The judge found that The Twigs were aware of Barnett's infringing activity as early as 2013 and did not take any action until 2026.
While the infringement claims are dismissed, the dispute over FKA Twigs' own trademark application remains unresolved.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
