FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York this March seeking a declaration that her stage name does not infringe upon the trademark of the American indie-pop duo The Twigs. The duo has since filed counterclaims, seeking to bar her from using the name.
Escalating Trademark Dispute in New York
The legal standoff between the British artist FKA Twigs and the American indie-pop duo known as The Twigs entered a new phase on May 11, 2026. Twin sisters Laura and Linda Good, who have performed under the name The Twigs since 1994, filed an answer and counterclaims in the Southern District of New York. This action follows a March complaint filed by Barnett, in which she sought a court declaration that her professional moniker does not violate the trademark rights the Good sisters registered in 1996.
The counterclaims filed by the duo seek a permanent injunction to prevent Barnett from using FKA Twigs,Twigs, or any confusingly similar designation for live or recorded musical performances and other commercial services. Furthermore, the duo is petitioning the court to block Barnett’s pending United States trademark application. According to the filing, the sisters’ legal counsel argues that Barnett’s application, filed on December 21, 2023, and published on June 24, 2025, should be rejected because their own trademark holds priority and is confusingly similar regarding overlapping Class 41 services.
Origins of the Conflict and 2013 Correspondence
The current litigation is rooted in a decade-old interaction between the parties. Both sides have cited a 2013 email exchange in their legal arguments to establish the timeline of notice. In June 2013, Barnett reached out to the Good sisters to address the shared use of the name.
I appreciate that you’ve been releasing music and performing as The Twigs a lot longer than I have been Twigs so I thought I should reach out and say hi and check that you are ok with it.
FKA Twigs Told to DROP Her Name?! $1M Lawsuit SHOCKER!
Tahliah Debrett Barnett, artist
Five days after that message was sent, the Good sisters responded by asserting that their existing trademark prohibited Barnett from utilizing any derivation of the name. They informed the singer that they maintained ownership of the name within the United States. Court filings indicate the sisters explicitly advised Barnett to embrace a new name at that time, a directive that forms a central part of the evidentiary record currently before the court.
Barnett, who began her career as a backup dancer before releasing her debut EP in 2012, has since built a global profile. Her 2025 releases, Eusexua and Eusexua: Afterglow, earned her the award for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. Despite this commercial success, the trademark conflict threatens her ability to continue performing under the name she has used throughout her career.
Legal Stakes and Future Implications
The sisters are seeking damages, including punitive damages under New York common law, as part of their counterclaims. The case highlights the complexities of brand identity in the music industry, where stage names can carry significant intellectual property value. The Good sisters, in their court filings, emphasize their long-standing tenure in the industry, citing their 1994 formation and subsequent trademark registration as the bedrock of their legal claim to the moniker.
Tahliah Debrett Barnett trademark dispute visuals
For Barnett, the lawsuit represents a major challenge to her brand identity. Having established a career that blends avant-pop, R&B, and electronic music, the singer has been known as FKA Twigs for over a decade. The term FKA is widely recognized to stand for Formerly Known As, a convention used by artists to signal a rebrand or the adoption of a new professional title. The legal dispute now tests whether this distinction provides sufficient separation from the established trademark of the Good sisters.
As the matter proceeds in the Southern District of New York, the court will have to determine whether the use of FKA Twigs creates sufficient consumer confusion to warrant the injunction requested by the Good sisters. The outcome could force a significant shift in how Barnett presents her work, depending on whether the court grants the request to restrict her usage of the name in live and recorded performances. As of May 20, 2026, the dispute remains active, with both parties entrenched in their respective legal positions.
The motion for an injunction specifically targets the breadth of Barnett’s commercial footprint, including digital streaming platforms and live tour branding. The Good sisters contend that the overlap in the musical marketplace creates a risk of consumer confusion that persists despite the prefixing of the name. Barnett, conversely, maintains that her professional identity is distinct and has been cultivated independently over the course of her ascent in the global music industry. The court is now tasked with reviewing the evidentiary trail of the 2013 communication alongside the trademark filings that have brought the two parties into this direct conflict.
Jasmine Brooks curates coverage of film, music, and digital culture. She began her career as an arts columnist for The Evening Tribune and has since interviewed creatives across Hollywood, Seoul, and London. Her focus blends culture, diversity, and storytelling excellence.
