Ronnie Cremer, the man who taught country star Taylor Swift to play the guitar, was notified Tuesday that his former pupil is threatening legal action for buying the domain name ITaughtTaylorSwift.com. Cremer, who is credited as helping the singer record her first demo, provided lessons on the guitar at least two times a week, as well as familiarizing her with Ableton, a music sequencer software and digital audio works. The instructor eventually parted ways with the singer due to having difficulties with Taylor’s mother, Andrea Swift.
Shortly after purchasing the domain name, Swift’s lawyers notified Cremer that he was to relinquish the domain, as it is likely to dilute and tarnish the Taylor Swift brand. They went on to accuse Cremer with attempting to capitalize on his former student through the website.
Refusing to back down to Swift’s legal team, Cremer has fought back against his accusers, declaring that he purchased the domain name legally and has not commercialized any product or made any money from the singer’s name. He explained that no misinformation has been spread by him or his website, as he had taught Swift to play the guitar. Swift’s lawyers have been busy lately, trademarking a number of phrases from her recent album, including: “This Sick Beat,” “Party Like It’s 1989,” “Could Show You Incredible Things,” “Cause We Never Go Out Of Style,” and “Nice To Meet You. Where You Been?”
In addition to the trademarks, the crafting website Etsy has been told that they are no longer allowed to create and sell Taylor Swift related items. Although Etsy does not personally create the items, they have been instructed to ensure that sellers on the website are to end the selling of Swift-related t-shirts, candles, and any other items with the singers name on them. While most items have been taken down from the site, a few still remain, leaving their items available for sale as long as possible. Etsy has stated that they defend the singer’s trademarks, and do all that they can to ensure that no product is on their site is sold violating anyone’s trademark rights.