Apollonia Pushes Back Against Prince’s Estate In Los Angeles Federal Court Over Who Owns Her Name

As a legal analyst, I’ll be watching three levers: whether the court credits decades of marketplace reality over archival deal papers; whether the estate’s June 2025 application signals a pivot toward merchandising rights that intensifies the conflict; and whether a judge chooses to pause for the TTAB or push ahead to a clean, binding ownership ruling. For artists, the takeaway is simple—stage names are brands, and brands favor the party who uses them publicly, consistently, and as a source identifier.

Prince’s estate, now split equally between music publisher Primary Wave and the artist’s siblings, has been notably aggressive in protecting his intellectual property since his accidental fentanyl overdose death at 57. But this case presents a unique wrinkle: they’re essentially arguing against someone Prince personally collaborated with and supported.

The legal precedents here favor Kotero, but trademark disputes involving deceased celebrities often involve complex licensing and assignment questions that can muddy the waters. Her attorneys are smart to seek declaratory judgment rather than waiting for the estate to sue first—it puts them in the driver’s seat procedurally.