The Royal wedding: a prince, a Hollywood star…and IP law

With the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Hollywood star Meghan Markle fast approaching, companies may be looking at leveraging the glamour of this event in their advertising and products and capitalising on the ‘Royal effect’. Off with their heads? The UK Royal family take protection of their intellectual property rights seriously.  The UK Trade Marks Act 1994 specifically provides for Royal emblems; prohibiting use of Royal Arms in a way that implies authorisation by the Royal family.  Such misuse is a criminal offence.  The Act also prohibits use of any device, title or emblem in a way which implies that entity supplies the Royal family. These provisions could capture certain use of Royal symbolism but this would not extend to use outside of the UK or to use inside the UK which, whilst it played-off the Royal family, might not actually imply a connection.  For example, a clearly tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign or product line. However,…

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