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She was mocked mercilessly for her head-banging at last year’s Grammys and now, Taylor Swift is the subject of a metal singer’s protest song.
The “Shake It Off” star came under fire last week when she applied to trademark various lyrics from her hit album 1989, including “this sick beat” and “cause we never go out of style”.
But musician-activist Ben Norton has taken things one step further and uploaded a two-minute song to YouTube called, you guessed it, “This Sick Beat”.
Uploaded under the moniker Peculate, the video consists of the phrase repeated over and over in screamo vocals, while the three words flash up in angry reds and blacks.
“Trademarks are a direct attack on one of the most fundamental and inalienable rights of all: our freedom of speech,” Norton wrote under the track. “If you give the bourgeoisie an inch, they will take a mile, and everything else you have in the process.
“They have already privatised land, water and words. After language, they will next try to privatise air. But, although the rich can try, they will never truly own the words we use and the language we speak.”
Taylor Swift career in picturesShow all 44 1 /44Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performs onstage during the first ever Academy Of Country Music New Artists' Show Party for a Cause.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performs during the rehearsals for the 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2007 in Las Vegas.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift sings the national anthem before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies on opening day at Dodger Stadium on April 9, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift arrives at the 41st Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards in 2006 in Las Vegas.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift arrives at the 2007 CMT Music Awards in 2007 in Nashville.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift arrives at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performs onstage during day 2 of the 2008 Stagecoach Country Music Festival in 2008 in Indio, California.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift arrives at the 43rd annual Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2008.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performs on stage during the 42nd Annual CMA Awards in 2008 in Nashville.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift attends the 40th Annual CMA Awards in November 2006.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performs with her bling guitar on stage.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performing at MTV EMAs.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift in her new 'Blank Space' video.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures The album sleeve for Taylor Swift's 1989.
Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift seems to have left her country roots behind her to pursue a poppier sound.
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures ...as she performs on ABC's 'Good Morning America' to promote her new album '1989' in New York
Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performs on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards 2014
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift's performance at this year's VMAs
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift crawls through the legs of twerking dancers in her 'Shake It Off' music video
Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift at the 56th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift arrives at the 2014 Grammys
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performed on the Victoria's Secret catwalk back in November last year
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures The Duke of Cambridge singing with Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi at the Centrepoint Gala Dinner at Kensington Palace, London last year
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift with her four gongs at the 2013 American Music Awards
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift's music appeared on the first ‘Hunger Games’ soundtrack
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift poses in the press room during the 47th Annual CMA Awards holding her trophies
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Award winning Taylor Swift at the Video Music Awards
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performing on stage with Ed Sheeran at the Capital FM Summertime Ball
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift onstage at the Capital FM Summertime Ball at Wembley in London last year
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift performs at the 2013 Brit Awards
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift on the red carpet of the Brit Awards 2013
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift at the Grammy Awards 2013
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift celebrates her three awards at the MTV EMA last night
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Singer Taylor Swift accepts the award for Best Live on stage at the MTV EMA's 2012
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift's roots are in country music
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures US country music star Taylor Swift kicks off her world tour to support her album, 'Speak Now'
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Singer Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift celebrates after winning the Best Country Album award for Fearless at the 52nd Grammy Awards
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Kanye West takes the microphone from best female video winner Taylor Swift as he praises the video entry from Beyonce at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in New York
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Swift finishes her previously interrupted acceptance speech for best female video as Beyonce watches at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Swift cultivating a huge teen following while on stage in 2009
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Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Swift's appearance at a country awards show in 2009
Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Swift's album 'Fearless'
Taylor Swift career in pictures Taylor Swift career in pictures Times of innocence: Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift
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Swift is waiting for her application to be approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office so as yet, is not the legal owner of the phrases.
Should permission be granted, Swift’s words will not be free for unauthorised use on a range of commercial products including clothing, toys, stationery, stickers, tattoo transfers, home décor, musical instruments and accessories, jewellery and non-medicated toiletries.
Oh and Christmas stockings, walking sticks and, urm, “harnesses and whips”, are off-limits too.
Norton is making no money from his song and it can only be downloaded for free.
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