Taylor Swift trademarks 'sick beat'

The star is likely to apply the phrases to her own range of merchandise

Pop star Taylor Swift is seeking to trademark phrases including "this sick beat" and "we never go out of style", in the United States.

The phrases are all lyrics from her current album, 1989, which has sold more than 4 million copies in the US.

If granted, the trademark would stop others from using her lyrics on items such as t-shirts, stickers and bags.

Other phrases she wants to protect include "nice to meet you, where you been" and "party like it's 1989".

Her name, signature and initials have already received trademark protection.

Although the application may seem trivial, printing lyrics onto merchandise is an increasingly important revenue stream for musicians in an era of declining record sales.

The trademarks can be viewed on the US Patent and Trademark Office

The pop star submitted her requests on 24 and 25 October 2014 - days before her album was released. They were first reported by Vox magazine on Thursday.

Some of the items that would be covered by the trademarks - such as typewriters and walking sticks - are presumably obligatory, falling into the same category as tote bags and backpacks.

Other obscure items listed include napkin holders, paint brushes, Christmas tree ornaments and "whips, harness and saddlery".

Swift has already proved to be a canny businesswoman, pulling all of her music from streaming services like Spotify in an effort to boost sales of her new album.

The gamble paid off - with the pop record shifting 1.28 million copies in its first week of sale in the US, the highest figure since Eminem sold 1.322 million copies of The Eminem show in June 2002.

She will bring her 1989 tour to the UK this summer, and was recently announced as the headline act at Radio 1's Big Weekend festival in Norwich.