Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo have launched a legal battle over the trademark issue of the “Neptunes” brand.
According to legal documents obtained by HipHopDX, Hugo and his team have filed a document with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board accusing his longtime friend and co-producer of trying to trademark the Neptunes name, which does not include his name. Fraud.
“Throughout their thirty-year history, [Hugo] Williams agreed and, in effect, divided all assets,” the filing reads. “Through neglect and exclusion [Hugo] It appears from all the applications filed by the Applicant in respect of the mark “The Neptunes” that the Applicant committed fraud and acted dishonestly in protecting the mark. “
A rep for the “Happy” hitmaker released a statement to Billboard on Monday (April 1): “Pharrell is surprised by this. We have been contacted multiple times to share ownership and management of the trademark and will continue to do so.” This offer is made. The goal here is to ensure that third parties do not acquire the trademark and that Chad and Farrell share ownership and management rights.”
Hugo’s lawyer, on the other hand, thinks it’s a lie.
“If Pharell’s intention was to include Chad in the application, he should have registered it in the name of their joint venture, Neptunes, LLC, rather than in his own name,” he said. “This is a land grab in a long-simmering dispute that has not yet been resolved.”
Currently, Hugo is disputing three separate app names: one for streaming music, a second for music videos and other content, and a third involving live performances. According to legal documents, Pharrell filed for ownership from his PW IP Holdings LLC in 2022.
Elsewhere in the case, Hugo’s lawyers said they had contacted Farrell’s team “numerous times” about the issue. They also noted that the Louis Vuitton designer’s company insisted on “onerous commercial terms” that would deprive Hugo of proper control and compensation, without specifying the terms.
Chad Hugo’s team proposed amending the three trademarks, making him a 50% co-owner, or appointing a general partnership as owner in Pharrell’s place.
