FKA Twigs is victorious in first stage of trademark infringement trial

FKA Twigs has won the first stage of a trademark infringement trial over her stage name.

The singer, real name Tahliah Barnett, has been accused of infringing indie band The Twigs, aka twins Laura and Linda Good, with her moniker.

The sisters initially sued Twigs back in 2014, before dropping the lawsuit when their initial injunction request was denied.

They then lodged papers for a new lawsuit, in which they claimed that the singer was attempting to “weaken, if not destroy” their intellectual property with her fame.

However, on Tuesday (18.08.26), U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled that The Twigs’ infringement allegations are too old, citing the doctrine of laches, which “prohibits the unreasonable delay of legal action”.

In the legal papers, obtained by Billboard, Rakoff stated: “The Goods were aware of Barnett’s allegedly infringing activity as early as 2013 when the parties exchanged emails, and certainly no later than 2014 when the Goods sued Barnett alleging trademark infringement.

“After the Goods dismissed their suit, Barnett continued releasing music under the name ‘FKA twigs.’ Yet the Goods did not take any action until 2024 and did not bring the instant claims until 2026. In other words, the Goods let their claims lie fallow for at least a decade.”

The laches doctrine doesn’t apply to “intentional” infringement in trademark lawsuits, with Judge Rakoff adding: “The pleadings do not remotely support the inference that Barnett intended to promote confusion between herself and the Goods.”

The ruling means that FKA Twigs cannot be sued for infringing the “The Twigs” trademark.

While The Twigs’ claims have been rejected, FKA’s allegations that the band attempted to pressure her over trademark rights to the stage name remain.

The singer alleged that the Goods have repeatedly challenged her use of the “FKA Twigs” moniker despite knowing about her career for more than a decade.

Court documents cited by Rolling Stone state that Barnett offered the pair $15,000 at the time in hopes of allowing both acts to continue using their respective names without conflict.

The offer was rejected, with the duo reportedly refusing to agree to any form of co-existence.

The filing claims the dispute escalated in 2024, when The Twigs allegedly issued cease-and-desist letters in what Barnett describes as an effort to “weaponise” trademark claims that should no longer be enforceable.

The lawsuit accused the band of threatening litigation and attempting to block her from using the FKA Twigs name, while also demanding a “significant seven-figure payout” to drop their objections.

Barnett’s legal team argue that confusion between the two acts is implausible, pointing to her global profile — including 3.2 million monthly Spotify listeners and hundreds of millions of YouTube views — compared with the band’s far smaller online presence.