Break-up season continues as one of the most iconic duos, The Neptunes, is in a legal battle with Chad Hugo accusing Pharrell Williams of “fraudulently” keeping control of the group’s trademarks to himself.
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Unfortunately, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke. First Desus and Mero, then Hall and Oates, and now this? Someone get your praying grandmothers to watch over Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
The Neptunes produced some of the biggest artists’ biggest hits over the past three decades. From Jay-Z and Beyoncé to Usher and Mariah Carey, the Songwriting Hall of Fame inductees dominated the industry and the charts. Through all the success and collaborations, the producing pair always seemed to come quietly to an agreement for securing and splitting the bag.
Chad Hugo Files Legal Action Against Pharrell Williams Over “The Neptunes” Trademarks
Now, Pharrell’s childhood friend claims the “Happy” singer is making money moves without him. According to Billboard, Hugo’s court filing accused Pharrell of trying to register trademarks under The Neptunes’ name without his approval. Without that knowledge, Hugo wouldn’t know how much money he’s entitled to based on their equal partnership.
Kelis made similar accusations about her former Kaleidoscope collaborators, and now she’s probably singing, “I told you so.”
Hugo’s attorneys submitted the legal action to a federal tribunal last week. Multiple trademark applications under the Neptunes name allegedly violate their agreement to split everything equally.
“Throughout their over thirty-year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets. By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from the any and all applications filed by applicant for the mark ‘The Neptunes,’ applicant has committed fraud in securing the trademarks and acted in bad faith,” Hugo’s attorney Kenneth D. Freundlich wrote in the filing.
Hugo remained the mostly silent partner for years, so all this legal drama isn’t for something insignificant. He asserts that Pharrell “knowingly and intentionally” tried to register “The Neptunes” for streaming music, content like music videos, and live performances without Hugo’s knowledge.
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A statement on Pharrell’s behalf asserts he planned to abide by the duo’s longstanding split for proceeds from the disputed trademark filings.
“Pharrell is surprised by this. We have reached out on multiple occasions to share in the ownership and administration of the trademark and will continue to make that offer. The goal here was to make sure a third party doesn’t get a hold of the trademark and to guarantee Chad and Pharrell share in ownership and administration,” Williams’ rep said.
However, Pharrell reportedly filed these trademarks with his company, PW IP Holdings LLC, as the owner in 2022 instead of listing Hugo or their partnership. “Nothing, either written or oral, provided Williams or [PW IP Holdings] with the unilateral authority to register the trademarks,” Hugo’s attorneys claim.
Chad Hugo Accuses Pharrell’s Company Of Cutting Him Out With “Onererous Business Practices”
The filing adds that Hugo’s attorneys “repeatedly” reached out about the issue since 2022. They allege Pharrell’s team “admitted that [Hugo] is equal co-owner of the trademarks” but never delivered on promises to equally include him. The attorneys also accused Pharrell’s company of unspecified “onerous business practices” that did not equally include Hugo.
This might just be the beginning of a long and epic legal battle. According to the filing, Pharrell’s company has several similarly filed trademarks under The Neptunes without Hugo in the mix. The “Blurred Lines” star has a pending application for clothing and merch, and already registered a musical sound recordings trademark.
For followers of these 2000s titans, this feels like parents going through a nasty divorce. Unless the dynamic duo somehow stays together for the fans, all we can do is sip a “Milkshake” and reminisce about the good times.