Brooklyn Beckham stirred things up this week when he called out his parents, David and Victoria, saying “Brand Beckham” always comes first. His outburst didn’t just set off another round of internet gossip, it also pulled back the curtain a bit on how celebrity families protect their names with legal trademarks.
If you check the UK trademark filings, you’ll see David and Victoria registered all four of their kids’ names as trademarks. Victoria is listed as the owner, acting as their parent and guardian.
Brooklyn’s name got trademarked back in 2016, when he was just 17. That registration covers everything from beauty and clothing to toys and entertainment, but it’s set to expire this December.
So what’s the real fight about? In his Instagram post, Brooklyn claimed that before he married Nicola Peltz in 2022 she’s the daughter of American billionaire Nelson Peltz, his parents pushed him to sign away the rights to his own name. He said his family puts public image and endorsements above everything else: “Brand Beckham comes first.”
Brooklyn hasn’t shared exactly what they asked him to sign. So far, his parents haven’t commented on the situation, and their reps haven’t responded to Reuters or anyone else asking about it.
What do you need to know about the trademark dispute?
In February that year, Authentic Brands Group entered a strategic partnership to co-own and manage David Beckham’s brand. It is not clear if Brooklyn’s trademark was involved.
Celebrities have long trademarked their names for spinoff products and the practice has increased with the rise of endorsements and social media to prevent others profiting from their names without permission.
Disputes over such trademarks are not uncommon. Australian singer Kylie Minogue opposed efforts by U.S. reality television star Kylie Jenner to trademark “Kylie” for commercial use, citing prior use and the risk of consumer confusion. Minogue later said the two reached an agreement.
Singer Katy Perry has been in a years-long trademark battle with a Sydney-based fashion designer whose label uses her own birth name, “Katie Perry.”
What options does Brooklyn Beckham have?
The Beckhams’ multi-million-pound family business was built by David, the former England soccer captain who agreed a string of commercial deals while playing at Manchester United and Real Madrid in the 1990s and 2000s, and Victoria, a member of the Spice Girls, the UK’s biggest pop group at the time.
Victoria launched her own fashion label in 2008 and beauty brand in 2019 and the couple have each lent their names to multiple products, including collaborations with other brands.
Their four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper Seven, make frequent appearances at Victoria’s fashion shows and online. Brooklyn and Romeo have collaborated with brands.
Mark Engelman, an intellectual property barrister at Burnell Chambers, said registering a trademark was relatively inexpensive. “If (the children) do well, they can earn money from selling products or licensing the name to third parties,” he said.
Registering a trademark in Britain costs from 170 pounds ($230), plus 50 pounds for each additional class, and lasts 10 years. In the United States, fees start at around $350.
Any dispute could ultimately be resolved through negotiation, potentially limiting Brooklyn’s use of his name in core “Brand Beckham” categories such as fashion or fragrance, he added.
Brooklyn already signalled a shift by adding Peltz to his surname after his marriage. He uses the name in marketing his Cloud23 hot sauce, signing endorsements with the initials “BPB”.
(With inputs from Reuters)
