Over the past two years, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have caused a stir in the world
of intellectual property.
In 2020 the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attempted to trademark the name "Sussex Royal," which
they reportedly hoped to use for anything from pajamas and magazines to charities and
educational ventures.
However, the application for the trademark received multiple objections, and it was eventually
withdrawn, per The Independent.
Specifically, the use of the word "royal" caused turmoil, as well as speculation that
Queen Elizabeth II decided the couple could not use it as part of their brand.
After abandoning the "Sussex Royal" idea, Meghan and Harry selected the name Archewell
for their new endeavors.
After filing trademark applications all over the world, the duke and duchess got involved
in a legal argument with a cosmetic company in the Philippines over the name.
However, Harry and Meghan decided not to pursue their objections, allowing both names to coexist.
Now Meghan is once again attempting to protect her ideas via trademark, and she's causing
quite an uproar.
In December 2020, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry signed a huge $25 million contract with
Spotify.
Following a brief holiday program that was released in 2020, the world has been eagerly
awaiting more content from Archewell.
In March, Meghan's Spotify podcast, "Archetypes", was officially announced.
Meghan's decision to file a patent to protect the name of her podcast has been called into
question.
After all, Meghan is hardly the first person to use this word, which is defined as an "original
pattern from which copies are made."
"I'm Meghan, and this is 'Archetypes.'"
In an audio teaser for her show, Meghan explained the premise:
"This is how we talk about women.
The words that raise our girls, and how the media reflects women back to us.
According to the Daily Mail, the Duchess of Sussex specifically wants to have exclusive
use over "Archetypes" for products associated with the stereotypes women often deal with.
Specifically, Meghan is looking to protect her show's title in all the different forms
of electronic media as well as DVDs and CDs.
However, she could face some legal obstacles from companies already using the name.
Despite "Archetypes" being a commonly-used word, Meghan has a shot at obtaining her trademark.
To succeed, the duchess will have to demonstrate that her use of the word has its own unique
slant, separate from the dictionary definition.
She'll also have to differentiate her vision of "Archetypes" from any products with the
same name.
It's currently unclear whether Meghan will be successful in her trademark quest.
However, other celebrities have secured somewhat surprising trademarks in recent years.
For instance, Taylor Swift managed to trademark the phrases "Party Like It's 1989" and "This
Sick Beat," among several others, in 2015.
As a result, the phrases, all of which were taken from her hit album "1989," were prohibited
from being licensed for a plethora of products.
If the trademarking of "Archetypes" is successful, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex might soon
find themselves sitting on a goldmine.
Although Meghan's trademark case might seem like a long shot, it's worth remembering that
she's been successful in some of her other legal proceedings.
The duchess recently won her landmark case against the Mail on Sunday for invasion of
privacy and copyright infringement.
Meghan's big win in court was about the principle of the matter rather than any kind of payout,
as the duchess made clear.
Although the Mail, and its sister site MailOnline, attempted to appeal the case, they eventually
accepted defeat and acknowledged their wrongdoing in publishing a private letter Meghan had
written to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.
The case took three years to finally settle, with both publications instructed to print
front page and homepage statements confirming they'd lost.
The court ultimately ruled that the contents of Meghan's letter were private and shouldn't
have been shared with the general public.
In a statement, Meghan called for an overhaul of the tabloid industry entirely, pointing
to their dubious methods in obtaining information on celebrities.
As reported by Reuters, Meghan explained,
"This is a victory not just for me, but for anyone who has ever felt scared to stand up
for what's right."
Only time will tell whether Meghan will also be successful in her trademark request.
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