Taylor Swift Wins Civil Suit for Counterfeit Merchandise

Taylor Swift has won a civil court case that was filed against 16 individuals who violated the superstar's trademark by selling fake merchandise bearing her likeness. The Nashville Post reports that the lawsuit was filed in May 2009, after Taylor's merchandise enforcement team seized unlicensed merchandise being sold at shows in Georgia, South Carolina and other states over the past year during the young superstar's 2009 Fearless Tour.

The case had been placed under seal, as required under federal trademark law, up until last month, when Taylor's attorneys asked the court to unseal it. Last week, a federal judge in Nashville granted Taylor an injunction and default judgment against 16 of the 24 individuals named in the lawsuit. The judge has ordered confiscated items to be destroyed.

Taylor's new single, 'Speak Now,' the title track from her upcoming album, was released this week on iTunes, and ascended to the No. 1 spots on both the all-genre singles chart and the country singles chart within hours of its release.