Pharrell Williams and P!nk have been going head-to-head in a trademark battle over the right to use the term P.Inc, with the pop star claiming that the super-producer has no right to do so.
Court documents obtained by HipHopDX reveal that the “So What” singer feels that Williams use of the term P.Inc will interfere with her own business ventures.
P!nk (real name Alecia Moore) alleges that Pharrell’s proposed use is “likely to cause confusion, mistake and/or deception amongst consumers,” in that it alleges there is a tie between the singer and the producer when there isn’t one.
What’s more, Victoria’s Secret lawyers are also arguing that Pharrell’s proposed trademark will constitute similar “confusion” amongst consumers, who may confuse it with their notorious athleisure wear line.
Pharrell faces off with P!nk and Victoria’s Secret in legal battle over latest venture pic.twitter.com/w2QsV9q3Fs
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) April 19, 2024
News of this lawsuit comes right as Pharrell and his Neptunes partner Chad Hugo are battling over the rights to their production duo’s name.
According to legal documents obtained by HipHopDX, Hugo and his team have made a filing with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, accusing Williams of committing fraud by attempting to register trademarks for the Neptunes name without his name on it.
“Throughout their over thirty-year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets,” the documents read. “By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from any and all applications filed by applicant for the mark ‘The Neptunes,’ applicant has committed fraud in securing the trademarks and acted in bad faith.”
In better Pharrell news, he returned to the music scene earlier this month with a surprise new album.
The album, which appears to be named Virginia: Black Yacht Rock Vol. 1 — City of Limitless Access (though it’s unclear if part of that title could be an artist name) is available to stream or download solely on the website blackyachtrock.com.
That website, according to GoDaddy.com’s WhoIs database, was only created late last month and was most recently updated on Wednesday (April 3).
The 10-track project includes the songs “Richard Mille,” “Just For Fun,” “Caged Bird Free,” and “Cheryl.” No credit or feature information was immediately available.
The website also contains a solicitation to join a mailing list. Once an address is submitted, a message reading, “Stay tuned…” pops up. So far, Pharrell has not mentioned the album on social media.
The project is the hitmaker’s first solo release in a decade since 2014’s Girl.
