Less 'Mayhem' for Lady Gaga as judge dismisses infringement lawsuit
Lady Gaga accepts the Best Pop Vocal Album award for “Mayhem” onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Lady Gaga’s 2025 Mayhem album did not infringe on the trademarks of a surf company’s brand, according to California federal judge who granted the entertainer’s bid to throw out the lawsuit, noting that the brand did not sufficiently prove explicit misleading of consumers.
U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin of the Central District of California dismissed Tuesday the second amended complaint filed last year by Lost International, a surf and lifestyle brand that sells “Mayhem” surfboards.
Lost International accused Lady Gaga, whose legal name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, of federal and common law trademark infringement, noting that she “unilaterally, and without Lost’s permission or knowledge, attempted to misappropriate the ‘Mayhem’ name, trademark and stylized mark,” regarding the release of the pop star’s 2025 Mayhem album, according to coverage by Law360.
“These allegations are conclusory and insufficient to constitute an ‘explicit indication, overt claim or explicit misstatement’ identifying Lost as the source of Lady Gaga’s work,” Olguin wrote.
Olguin dismissed the suit, noting that Lost International had been afforded three opportunities to make viable claims and was notified of deficiencies in its assertions regarding the Lanham Act—the primary federal statute governing trademark law in the United States. Lost International has been using its “Mayhem” mark for surfboards, clothing, equipment and accessories since 1986, according to Law360.
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