We recently heard the terrifying news that Taylor Swift had managed to start trademarking a whole range of lyrics from her last album 1989, including the phrase ” this sick beat ,” alongside “Party Like It’s 1989,” “Nice to Meet You. Where You Been?” and more. Needless to say, it’s caused something of a stir, and a lot of people aren’t happy with it.
Firstly, if you want to understand how trademarking something like that is possible, read this article in Time Money. It does a great job of explaining it.
There’s been a whole range of responses to the news, from many many people. But the best response so far has been from heavy metal artist Ben Norton, otherwise known as Peculate. Angry about Swifty’s trademark attempts, he penned a Facebook note and a parody protest song, This Sick Beat™:
The reception to his two-minutes of growling, howling metal and a simple yet somehow hilarious video clip, has been immense. Instantly going viral, it’s been featured everywhere from the Sydney Morning Herald to Billboard, from The AV Club to Time.
Check it out here