Politics
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in copyright battle against small Filipino business owner over Archewell deodorant name
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle are embroiled in a legal dispute with a small Filipino business owner over his Archewell deodorant name, which he says he’s willing to “fight to the death” for, The Sun can report.
The royals, who set up their foundation — named after their young son Archie — after relocating to LA from Britain last year, are disputing the use of the term ‘Archewell Harvatera’ with a man named Victor Martin Soriano.
Prince Harry and wife Meghan launched their Archewell Foundation last year after stepping down as senior royals[/caption]
Cobblestone Lane LLC, which represents Harry and Meghan and is based in Beverly Hills, is pursuing legal action over the name of his brand of natural deodorants, first reported by World Trademark Review.
Soriano filed in July 2020 in the Philippines, months after the royals launched their foundation in April, and has since shared his company’s official theme song and choreography online.
The Sun has reached out to Archewell for comment, but has not receive a response.
Victor Soriano told The Sun exclusively: “If the Queen asks me to withdraw, I will do it promptly, no questions asked.
“We’re really nice people here. This affects me but I’m willing to fight to the death out of principle.
The business owner shared a letter showing the legal dispute on Twitter, which names Cobblestone Lane LLC[/caption]
“I’m waiting for their legal response. There will be a showdown. Gosh, I already feel like Roxi Hart [on trial] in Chicago.
“The foundation is okay, but it’s how she [Meghan] treats other people.
“I think I should win because I’m a small guy from a poor small country about to be swallowed by a greedy monster. I must succeed in this fight.”
Soriano says to date he is the only person in the world to have filed for cosmetics and fragrances for Archewell – which Meghan and Harry had not planned to do.
“If [Meghan] wanted the name, she should have said so earlier,” he also told the WTR in an interview.
The couple have been working on their foundation since last year[/caption]
Businessman Soriano says he will appeal if he loses his fight with the royals[/caption]
“Is she sour graping? Change of mind or heart perhaps? Then she should do her own filing, not go after me since I’m 100 per cent legal and within my rights.”
He says Meghan, 39, “must be taught a lesson” and has shared proof of the dispute in a series of furious tweets, saying the couple “won’t talk to me.”
“You bet I can slug it out with them when it comes to legality, which I will,” he said.
“Fresh from her legal victories, I expect Meghan to take me head-on.”
Asked how he will respond if the royal’s win, he added: “I would probably appeal, we’ll see. It depends on them and the aura of this whole thing.”
The royal pair named the non-profit after their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor[/caption]
Cobblestone Lane LLC has reportedly requested “additional time” and has until March 25 to lodge its full opposition argument.
The Sun revealed in June last year the couple’s trademark application for their non-profit had hit a bump in the road because they didn’t sign the papers, it was “too vague” and they didn’t pay all the fees required.
The ambitious pair submitted their original plans with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on March 3, but a later filing showed they’d amended the application.
Meanwhile, Meghan and Harry have removed the photo of Princess Diana from their Archewell website as part of its makeover.
The Archewell Foundation site recently had a makeover[/caption]
A photograph of a young Harry with his mother was removed from the site[/caption]
The page is now printed with the words, “Compassion in Action.”
A new introduction reads: “Welcome to Archewell. Through our non-profit work, as well as creative activations, we drive systemic cultural change across all communities, one act of compassion at a time.”
The couple’s Archewell logo was also tweaked to include the words ‘Service. Compassion. Action. Community.’
The move comes after Her Majesty said they could not continue with “responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.”
The pair then hit back by saying: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
Meghan has this week been accused of bullying her staff at Buckingham Palace, with her team calling it a ‘smear campaign’[/caption]
Buckingham Palace is now bracing itself for the couple’s ‘bombshell’ sit-down with chat show queen Oprah this weekend, after claiming Meghan “bullied” staff members, leaving them “shaking in fear”.
According to a report in The Times on Friday, royal aides approached the newspaper to give their version of a story they’re worried will be whitewashed during the couple’s interview.
They claim Meghan was subject to a bullying complaint in October 2018 by Jason Knauf, the couple’s communications secretary at the time and one of Meghan’s most senior aides.
The complaint reportedly said the Duchess had already driven two personal assistants out of the household by constantly complaining about their work and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member.
Most read in News
A spokesman for the Sussexes told the newspaper Meghan was a victim of a “smear campaign.”
The Duchess was “saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma” the spokesman added.
