Yesterday it was revealed Patty A. Kotero, aka Apollonia, was suing her late costar’s property after they sought to revoke her trademark to her identify, which was granted to her by Prince on contracts she signed in 1983 and 1984. Now, the property has responded to her authorized submitting.
“Regrettably, Ms. Patty Kotero a/ok/a ‘Apollonia’ filed a frivolous lawsuit,” the assertion begins, persevering with:
As she acknowledges, Apollonia is the identify Prince gave to the character performed by Ms. Kotero in Prince’s film, “Purple Rain,” over forty years in the past. We by no means instructed her to stop utilizing her adopted skilled identify, nor did we object to her enterprise actions. In truth, we repeatedly provided her alternatives to carry out at Paisley Park utilizing this skilled identify.
Ms. Kotero’s unwarranted lawsuit comes on the tail finish of years-long disputes earlier than the Trademark Trial & Attraction Board regarding trademark registrations, wherein rulings are imminent and with respect to which we have now sought a settlement quite a few instances regardless of her extremely unreasonable calls for.
Unsurprisingly, her go well with fails to acknowledge the cancellation of her APOLLONIA registration by america Patent & Trademark Workplace. We look ahead to the rulings within the pending trademark proceedings and a dismissal of Ms. Kotero’s current federal motion. As is our responsibility, we’ll proceed to guard and protect Prince’s property and legacy.
Kotero’s lawsuit arrived alongside the announcement of the forged of the forthcoming musical adaption of Purple Rain, which is able to transpire at Minneapolis’ State Theatre from Oct. 16-Nov. 16. Kris Kollins will play the function of the Child and Rachel Webb shall be Apollonia.