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03.04.2024 / 10:53
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Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo in legal dispute over Neptunes name rights
Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who previously formed the songwriting duo The Neptunes, are currently in a legal dispute over the group’s name.The lawsuit comes as Hugo accused Williams of “fraudulently” seeking sole control over the trademarks without consulting him.The Neptunes rose to prominence in the early 2000s, after both Williams and Hugo were friends in their childhood. They produced a run of hit tracks at the turn of the century including Gwen Stefani’s ‘Hollaback Girl’, Snoop Dogg’s ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’, Justin Timberlake’s ‘Rock Your Body’ and Nelly’s ‘Hot in Herre’.They reached the peak of their success before Williams went on to become a solo musician, and they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2022.However, the two have run into legal action following Hugo filing a lawsuit against his songwriting partner last week at a federal tribunal – accusing Williams of attempting to unilaterally register trademarks for the Neptunes name.