Pharrell Williams and Pink have found themselves entangled in a legal dispute after Pink filed a legal action against Williams in an attempt to secure a trademark on the term “P.Inc.”
On Thursday, attorneys representing Pink lodged a complaint asserting that the federal trademark Pharrell is seeking is too reminiscent of her stage name and could potentially lead to “confusion, mistake, and/or deception” among consumers.
Pink’s company, Lefty Paw Print, initiated the legal action against Pharrell’s PW IP Holdings.
In response, Pharrell’s legal team stated that he intends to utilize the “P.Inc” trademark for “promotional marketing services in the field of music.” PW IP Holdings submitted an application for the federal trademark last year.
However, they had already been embroiled in a legal dispute with Victoria’s Secret, a company that prominently features the word “Pink” in its product branding.
Last month, Victoria’s Secret filed a case against Pharrell, echoing similar concerns about potential consumer confusion.
In a filing dated March 21, the company’s lawyers argued that Pharrell’s mark is highly similar to their established “PINK” marks and could lead to confusion among consumers.
This latest legal challenge is just one in a series of trademark disputes involving Pharrell. Chad Hugo, Pharrell’s longtime friend and collaborator, recently filed a similar trademark action over the name of their production group, The Neptunes.
Hugo accused Pharrell of attempting to claim sole ownership of The Neptunes’ name rights, alleging fraud and bad faith on Pharrell’s part.
In response to Hugo’s legal action, a representative for Pharrell expressed surprise and reiterated their willingness to share ownership and administration of the trademark.
The representative emphasized that the goal was to prevent a third party from seizing control of the trademark and to ensure that both Pharrell and Hugo share ownership and administration.
