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Photo: Prince William and Kate Middleton after their wedding, April 29, 2011 in London / Dutourdumonde Photography / Shutterstock.com
21 January 2014Trademarks

Duke and Duchess take measures to protect IP

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, members of the British of the royal family, have set up separate companies to protect their brands.

Prince William’s is called APL Anglesey, while Kate Middleton’s is named CE Strathearn.

APL is believed to stand for the Duke’s middle initials – which correspond to Arthur Philip Louis – while CE is thought to stand for Catherine Elizabeth, the Duchess’s first two names.

In the UK, there is a registered trademark for “Duke of Cambridge”, which covers imported fortified wines, while a trademark for “Duchess of Cambridge”, intended to cover the naming rights for a cheese, was withdrawn. An application for “Prince William” has also been withdrawn.

There are no UK trademarks for “Catherine Middleton” or “Kate Middleton”.

APL Anglesey and CE Strathearn will most likely manage the royals’ trademark and brand registrations, said John Olsen, partner at Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, but their image rights might also be a concern.

Image rights are an unregistered form of IP in the UK, but they can be registered in Guernsey, a British Crown dependency in the English Channel.

“Because of the relationship with the UK, if you get an image in Guernsey you could have it enforced in the UK ... But that hasn’t actually been tried yet,” Olsen said.

The couple’s decision to set up brand protection companies is a “very good idea”, Olsen added, because their status may leave them open to exploitation.

“To the extent that it can be stopped through registered rights, every step should be taken to do that. Enforcement at this level prevents something really catastrophic happening later on.”

Olsen added: “These are the first generation of royals to contend with the import of the Internet and social media ... Kate and William are interesting targets, their peers could be trying to exploit them. They need to be more aware about the implications [of IP infringement] than their parents.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married in 2011.

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