Prince’s estate has responded to a lawsuit filed by Patty “Apollonia” Kotero in which she said the corporation was attempting to prevent her from using her professional name.
Paperwork recently filed at an L.A. court included the claims that the estate wanted to trademark “Apollonia” for its own commercial purposes.
She argued that even though she technically didn’t own the name of the character she played in 1984 movie Purple Rain, Prince had always allowed her to use it, and any contracts that included claims over it should have expired.
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In a statement, the estate called her application a “frivolous lawsuit,” and said she’d failed to mention that she’d trademarked the name herself, although the registration had been canceled by authorities.
The announcement contained the suggestion that Apollonia was free to continue using the name, that the estate had in fact offered her opportunities to do so – but still intended to secure ownership as part of its legal requirement to protect Prince’s interests.
“As she acknowledges, ‘Apollonia’ is the name Prince gave to the character… over 40 years ago,” the statement read. “We never instructed her to cease using her adopted professional name, nor did we object to her business activities. In fact, we repeatedly offered her opportunities to perform at Paisley Park using this professional name.
Prince Estate Condemns Apollonia’s Unreasonable Demands
“Ms. Kotero’s unwarranted lawsuit comes [after] years-long disputes before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board concerning trademark registrations, in which rulings are imminent and with respect to which we have sought a settlement numerous times, despite her highly unreasonable demands.
“Unsurprisingly, her suit fails to acknowledge the cancellation of her ‘Apollonia’ registration by the United States Patent & Trademark Office.”
Predicting that Apollonia’s lawsuit would be dismissed, the estate added: “As is our duty, we will continue to protect and preserve Prince’s assets and legacy.”
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Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening
