The Real Reason Behind Taylor Swift Trying to Trademark 'This Sick Beat'

But, offers one trademark watcher, the move could signal a massive merchandising push of her own. Attorney Martin Schwimmer, who runs the popular Trademark Blog, foresees "a very ambitious licensing program" that is less about protecting against exploitation and more about expanding a line of products. 

The move itself isn't unusual. Such artists as Britney Spears and Beyoncé have attempted to trademark a popular song title ("Toxic") or an alter ego ("Sasha Fierce"), a corporate strategy that Richard Rochford, a partner in New York's intellectual property litigation group Haynes and Boone, likens to Swift "marking her territory." 

Rochford explains that unlike copyright law, trademark rights don't require the phrases to be absolutely unique or for the applicant to have coined them personally. Therefore, obtaining the rights requires an artist to prove that they're profiting off of a phrase associated with their brand. In Swift's case, that could mean she has already manufactured, say, a "Shake It Off" salt-and-pepper set. Adds Rochford, "She's saying she wants the ability to make money off of the things she's created. Whether the net she's cast is too wide remains to be seen."

This article first appeared in the Feb. 14 issue of Billboard.