Pharrell Williams vs. Chad Hugo: Battle for 'The Neptunes' Name Turns Legal

Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, the creative minds behind The Neptunes, find themselves entangled in a contentious dispute over the group's name.

Hugo accuses Williams of deceptive tactics in pursuing exclusive ownership of the trademarks.

Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo Go Head-to-Head

In early 2000s music, the two childhood friends emerged as the creative forces behind chart-topping hits like Nelly's "Hot in Herre," Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot," Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body," and Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl."

Raising concerns on behalf of Hugo, his legal representative Kenneth D. Freundlich objected to Pharrell and his company's purported attempts to trademark The Neptunes' name.

According to the filing obtained by the Rolling Stone, "Throughout their thirty-year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and have divided all assets. By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from any applications filed by the applicant for the mark 'The Neptunes,' the applicant has committed fraud in securing the trademarks and acted in bad faith."

In response to the accusations, Williams' representative strongly refuted the claims, stating to Billboard that the celebrity had no intention of betraying his friend.

"Pharrell is surprised by this. We have reached out on multiple occasions to share in the ownership and administration of the trademark and will continue to make that offer. The goal here was to make sure a third party doesn't get a hold of the trademark and to guarantee Chad and Pharrell share in ownership and administration."

Challenges arose when Hugo contested three trademark applications filed by Williams in 2022, seeking to register The Neptunes for use in streaming music, music videos, live performances, and other content.

Among the entities owned by Williams' company, PW IP Holdings LLC, are trademarks for his various brands, including his band NERD and the Miami Goodtime Hotel.

Hugo's attorney swiftly retaliated against the "Despicable Me" singer, who claimed that his submissions lacked malicious intent.

"If Pharrell's intent was to include Chad in the filing, he should have registered it in the name of their jointly owned company Neptunes, LLC and not in his own name," the lawyer explained. "This was a land grab in a long-simmering dispute that has yet to be resolved."

Legal Melodies

Hugo's lawyer alleged that Williams had filed the trademark applications without Hugo's consent, accusing him of doing so deliberately and knowingly. The lawyer emphasized that Williams knew that Hugo or their partnership entity should have been listed as co-owner.

"Nothing, either written or oral, provided Williams or PW IP Holdings with the unilateral authority to register the trademarks," he went on to say.

In his claim, Freundlich stated that he had made multiple attempts to contact Williams' team regarding the filings. He said his legal representatives acknowledged that Hugo is a co-owner of the trademarks and assured him that they would involve him in the process. Despite this assurance, he maintains that he was never included.

According to Hugo's legal representative, Williams' company proposed business terms that were described as excessively burdensome, potentially leading to Hugo's loss of control and compensation.

The collaboration between Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo began in 1992 when they established The Neptunes.