Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are engaged in a legal dispute over the trademark for their group name, Neptunes. Hugo claims Pharrell is “fraudulently” seeking sole control over the name, which would violate a longstanding agreement between the two to split everything evenly. He says Pharrell filed to register trademarks for the Neptunes name without his permission.
Hugo’s attorney, Kenneth D. Freundlich, wrote in a legal filing: “Throughout their over thirty year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets. By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from the 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.”
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Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo Pose Backstage At Songwriters Hall Of Fame
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 16: Inductees Pharrell Williams and Chad. Hugo of The Neptunes pose backstage at the Songwriters. Hall of Fame 51st Annual Induction and Awards Gala at Marriott Marquis on June 16, 2022 in New. York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame)
A representative for Pharrell responded to the situation in a statement to Billboard on Monday. They argued he only did so to protect the name from third parties. “Pharrell is surprised by this,” they wrote. “We have reached out on multiple occasions to share in the ownership and administration of the trademark and will continue to make that offer. The goal here was to make sure a third party doesn’t get a hold of the trademark and to guarantee Chad and Pharrell share in ownership and administration.”
Pharrell’s company, PW IP Holdings LLC, filed three separate applications to register “The Neptunes” as a trademark back in 2022. They cover the use of the name on streaming music, in music videos, and for live performances. Hugo’s team says they’ve “repeatedly” contacted Pharrell’s team about the problem and argue he “knowingly and intentionally” filed the applications without required input from their client. Be on the lookout for further updates on Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo on HotNewHipHop.
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