Lady Gaga Says Surf Brand Must Repay $250K Legal Bill After Failed ‘Mayhem’ Lawsuit: ‘A Publicity Stunt’
The superstar says the defeated lawsuit over a “common dictionary word” was costly and never should have been filed.
Lady Gaga is seeking repayment of nearly $250,000 in legal fees she incurred while contesting a lawsuit regarding her Mayhem album. The lawsuit, brought by Lost Surfboards, alleged that Gaga's album name infringed on the surf brand's trademark. However, a federal judge dismissed the case in February, stating that there was no reasonable likelihood of consumer confusion.
Gaga's legal team argues that the lawsuit was a "publicity stunt" intended to "extract" money from her. In a scathing motion, their attorney Orin Snyder claims that the case was never a legitimate lawsuit, but rather an improper attempt to capitalize on Gaga's fame by suing her over the use of a common dictionary word. The motion argues that the lawsuit was "never a legitimate lawsuit" and that Gaga should not be forced to pay the substantial legal fees ($232,484) she incurred.
According to the motion, Lost Surfboards initially sought an injunction forcing Gaga to stop using the name "Mayhem" on her album and tour. However, when this was rejected, the company allegedly "doubled down" and "dug in," causing another nine months of expensive litigation. The motion states that the full-day deposition of the world-famous artist at the height of her grueling international tour served only to make continued litigation so disruptive that settlement became cheaper than vindication.
The attorneys argue that the burden of the lawsuit was the point, not the vindication of trademark rights.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
