*Apollonia, celebrated for her role in the 1984 film “Purple Rain” and her career as a singer and model, has filed a lawsuit against Prince’s estate to defend her stage name.
As Variety reports, the suit claims Paisley Park Enterprises “embarked on an aggressive campaign” to seize control of the Apollonia name through appeals to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. The estate alleges that Patty Kotero, Apollonia’s real name, relinquished rights to the name in her “Purple Rain” contracts.
The lawsuit asserts that Prince, who passed away in April 2016, never challenged Apollonia’s use of her stage name during his lifetime. “The statute of limitations for breach of contract expired long ago,” the complaint reads, noting that “neither Prince nor anyone on his behalf ever requested Apollonia cease using her name or demanded she stop using her name on a personal or professional level.”
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It further emphasizes the friendship between Prince and Apollonia, stating, “Prince and Apollonia were friends, and he wanted her to be successful as Apollonia.”
Paisley Park Enterprises has pursued legal action to cancel Kotero’s trademarks, filing cancellation cases in 2019 and 2021, according to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board documents. One case is suspended, while the other awaits a suspension motion, raising concerns about potentially conflicting rulings.
Kotero’s lawyer, Daniel Cislo, argues, “All of the goodwill associated with the name and trademark ‘Apollonia’ for the past four decades is attributable to plaintiff,” asserting that Kotero owns multiple “Apollonia” trademark applications and registrations to protect her brand.
The estate’s representative dismissed the lawsuit as “frivilous,” stating, “As is our duty, we will continue to protect and preserve Prince’s assets and legacy.”
The complaint counters that “Paisley Park and Prince ‘never enforced their alleged rights and the statute of limitations expired long ago.’” With two ongoing cancellation proceedings, the legal battle risks inconsistent outcomes, as Kotero’s lawyer noted in an August 19 filing: “Due to the fact that there are two parallel cancellation proceedings involving the same parties and almost identical marks it is also possible that two different decisions may be issued that cannot be reconciled.”
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