US EditionPrince Estate Responds to Apollonia Lawsuit: ‘Highly Unreasonable’
Apollonia asserts ownership of her stage name amid ongoing trademark cancellation efforts by Paisley Park Enterprises, citing four decades of brand goodwill and legal filings since 2019.
- Patty A. Kotero filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging Paisley Park Enterprises LLC's ownership of the stage name 'Apollonia', seeking cancellation of pending trademarks and an injunction to protect her use of the name.
- Known professionally for over 40 years, Patricia Apollonia Kotero says Prince created and encouraged her persona, while Paisley Park Enterprises LLC's trademark actions sparked the current dispute.
- Kotero's complaint records that she applied for an Apollonia trademark on Oct. 3, 2016, with three additional applications, asserting all goodwill in the name belongs to her and contractual rights cited were never enforced.
- In response, the Prince estate said Kotero's lawsuit is "frivolous" and "unwarranted" while Kotero seeks a court order to protect her career and prevent interference with her stage name use.
- The dispute coincides with the Purple Rain musical opening in Minneapolis, following a similar 2022 fight with Morris Day, highlighting challenges in music legacy intellectual property.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Prince's estate responds to Apollonia's "frivolous lawsuit"
Prince‘s estate has responded to singer-songwriter Apollonia’s lawsuit, dismissing it as “frivolous” and “unwarranted”. The US artist, actor and former model (real name Patricia Apollonia Kotero) starred in Prince’s classic 1984 film Purple Rain, portraying his love interest who has the name Apollonia. She recently filed a 14-page complaint against the late icon’s estate, Paisley Park Enterprises, in a Los Angeles federal court, accusing it of “…
'Purple Rain' star Apollonia sues Prince's estate
Patty Kotero, who played the girlfriend of Prince's The Kid in the 1984 film, is seeking definitive ownership of the stage name that she has used for four decades.Jon Kopaloff/Getty; Warner Bros./Everett Apollonia Kotero at the 'Dead to Me' season 3 premiere in Los Angeles on Nov. 15, 2022; Prince in 'Purple Rain'Key pointsPatty "Apollonia" Kotero is suing Prince's estate over the trademark for her stage name.The Purple Rain actress claims her l…
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