Issue No. 003
May 13, 2026
New York
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The IP Briefing · by ESCA Legal
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| Twin sisters Laura Good and Linda Good, who perform as the indie band the Twigs, filed trademark counterclaims against FKA Twigs in the ongoing dispute over the artist's stage name. The counterclaim seeks an injunction that would bar Tahliah Barnett from using the FKA Twigs name and asks for unspecified damages for trademark infringement and unfair competition. |
| § | Barnett sued the Good sisters in March, seeking to resolve cease-and-desist threats tied to her use of FKA Twigs. | | § | The new counterclaim was filed May 11 and alleges Barnett has used her celebrity and media reach to strengthen public association between her music and the word Twigs. | | § | The Good sisters claim Barnett began dropping the FKA portion in some public appearances after her 2019 album Magdalene. | | § | Barnett's earlier complaint says the band knew about her stage name use since 2013 and rejected a proposed coexistence arrangement. |
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| § ESCA Takeaway |
| Names, logos, images, and songs are becoming the pressure points in current brand disputes: a stage name, a luxury label, and a K-pop single each show how quickly identity turns into litigation when commerce scales. |
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| More IP Stories |
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| § Trademark · Filed |
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| Chrome Hearts filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court against Rich LA and Mohammad Ghalev, alleging the retailer sold apparel bearing designs that were identical, substantially indistinguishable, or confusingly similar to Chrome Hearts marks. The complaint targets hoodies, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and hats allegedly promoted through Rich LA's stores, website, and Instagram account. |
| § | The complaint was filed in federal court in Los Angeles. | | § | Chrome Hearts alleges Rich LA sold clothing using the Chrome Hearts name, logo, and signature design elements without authorization. | | § | The brand claims the alleged products could confuse shoppers into believing the goods were authentic or officially connected to Chrome Hearts. | | § | The lawsuit brings trademark infringement, unfair competition, and common law trademark claims. |
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Why it matters
Luxury streetwear enforcement often turns on more than a word mark. For fashion brands, logos, recurring motifs, store-channel promotion, and social-media merchandising all become part of the confusion story when alleged counterfeits move through a recognizable retailer.
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| § Copyright · Filed |
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| Four Los Angeles-based songwriters filed a copyright lawsuit in the Central District of California against HYBE, NewJeans, ADOR, BANA, Coca-Cola, and other defendants over the 2024 single How Sweet. The complaint alleges the song copied elements from a demo called One of a Kind that the plaintiffs submitted for NewJeans and were later told would not be used. |
| § | The plaintiffs include producer Aidan Rodriguez, songwriter Adam Gokcebay, singer-songwriter Audrey Armacost, and producer Michael Campanelli. | | § | The complaint says Armacost was asked in January 2024 to write a topline for an instrumental track under consideration for NewJeans. | | § | The lawsuit alleges the plaintiffs submitted One of a Kind through music-industry channels and were told the topline would not be selected. | | § | The complaint claims How Sweet uses substantially similar musical elements from the rejected demo without a license or compensation. |
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Why it matters
Music copyright disputes increasingly sit inside brand campaigns, not just streaming releases. Adding Coca-Cola to a K-pop infringement suit shows how promotional partnerships can expand the commercial footprint of a song and widen the litigation map.
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This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Published by ESCA Legal. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Attorney advertising; prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
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