FKA Twigs wins first stage of trademark dispute against The Twigs

FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Barnett, has won the first stage of a long-running trademark infringement legal battle against the indie duo The Twigs, consisting of sisters Laura and Linda Good.

U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled in favor of Barnett, citing the doctrine of laches. The judge determined that the duo’s claims were too outdated to be pursued, noting that the sisters were aware of Barnett’s use of the name as early as 2013 but failed to take legal action for over a decade until issuing a cease-and-desist letter in 2024.

While the initial infringement claims were dismissed due to the unreasonable delay in legal action, the litigation is not entirely over. Remaining accusations from FKA Twigs, which claim the duo attempted to “weaponise” claims to extract money, have yet to be resolved.