Taylor Swift takes intellectual property seriously, hence why she copyrighted the phrase "this sick beat," much to the surprise of many musicians and fans. Most assumed the action was to prevent other performers from referencing it in lyrics, such as how Jay Z's "99 Problems" is frequently cited. It seems that the pop star and her legal team has targeted small-time merchandisers on the site Etsy however, based on a report from Billboard.
Although few of the actual items involved the aforementioned phrase, Swift Inc. has been sending out cease-and-desist orders to Etsy retailers who create unlicensed T-shirts, mugs and other knickknacks featuring the pop star's visage. Buzzfeed published a list during November that featured 19 items available on the site, and as of publication only three remained available for sale.
One Etsy seller claimed to be "shocked" and "scared" upon hearing from legal representatives.
"We originally made the item for fun, we love Taylor and we had friends that love Taylor. We never intended for it to be a profit-making item. The cost of the item covered shipping costs, and production costs with very little left over."
Don't feel too bad for those being forced to close-up shop. It's unlikely that any financial reparations will be requested from Team Swift upon compliance, and those selling the goods should probably have realized that "very little left over" was still too much to legally justify using Swift's words and image on materials. Even if the accused were selling the items at face value, Swift would still have a case by arguing that the use of products bearing her intellectual property could bring free advertising to the retailer's more legal, profitable goods.
This could mean big shifts for Etsy, forcing a crackdown on illegal products bearing band images or logos, one of the most popular categories on the site. Better get those Cannibal Corpse bras and candles while you can.
