The Twigs Countersue FKA Twigs Amid Ugly Trademark Dispute

The Twigs performing live. Photo Credit: John Perry

The Twigs v. Twigs trademark showdown just got even uglier: Now, The Twigs have fired back against FKA Twigs’ lawsuit with a firmly worded countercomplaint seeking, among other things, an order barring the artist from using the contested name.

The Twigs – or the indie-pop duo consisting of twin sisters Laura and Linda Good – recently made the counteraction (plus an answer to the original suit) official. Though the present courtroom confrontation technically kicked off in March, it was a long time in the making.

This refers in part to a 2014 trademark infringement action levied (and ultimately voluntarily dropped) by The Twigs against FKA Twigs. As summed up in the March 2026 complaint, FKA Twigs (real name Tahliah Barnett) then “heard nothing” from the sisters until receiving a fresh cease-and-desist letter “out of nowhere” in 2024.

And during the decade-long window, FKA Twigs is said to have dedicated considerable time and resources to her career – making a commercial splash in the process. Consequently, as the Cheltenham native sees things, there’s no real trademark infringement or likelihood of confusion here.

Following the position to its logical conclusion, The Twigs are allegedly attempting “to weaponize these barred and unmeritorious trademark claims” against an established professional.

There are, of course, two sides to every story: In the opposite corner, The Twigs are denying FKA Twigs’ claims and emphasizing their longtime use of the name in question.

Impressively, this use extends not only to a 1993 debut, but also to (besides the relevant trademarks and several releases) the registration of the twigs.com domain name that same year, per the answer and countercomplaint.

As described by The Twigs, FKA Twigs was well aware of the existing name and acknowledged as much in a 2013 email.

“‘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 is said to have written 13 years ago.

Obviously, The Twigs were pretty far from OK with the proposal and seemingly underscored the stance in polite-but-firm responses. Regarding the plural “responses,” FKA Twigs is said to have followed up multiple times – including by offering “$15,000 for a co-existence agreement.”

What about The Twigs’ voluntarily dismissed 2014 lawsuit against FKA Twigs? According to their filing, they put the case to rest because the court ruled against a request for injunctive relief (blocking an FKA Twigs concert in their native LA) and because they lacked “the financial resources of Barnett and her record label and financial backers.”

Similarly, what caused The Twigs to revive their trademark concerns in 2024? In brief, during the 10-year window, the counter-defendant is said to have shifted her focus beyond music; gone by FKA Twigs as opposed to just Twigs; and, most importantly, abstained from looking to trademark her stage name.

Unsurprisingly, then, FKA Twigs’ late-2023 trademark application didn’t sit right with The Twigs, nor did her alleged pivot away from the prefix (including participating in a congressional hearing as “twigs”) as her musical works gained traction – hence the renewed pushback.

At the intersection of all these points, the artist known as FKA Twigs and more recently Twigs “is likely to cause reverse confusion with THE TWIGS,” according to the countersuit, which alleges trademark infringement, unfair competition, and more.

On top of the above-noted order prohibiting FKA Twigs from using the name “for live or recorded musical performances and related overlapping goods or services,” The Twigs are seeking a pile of damages and a distinct order denying the counter-defendant’s aforementioned trademark application.