Although many people know her simply as Rihanna, the worldwide superstar’s full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Rihanna has trademarked the name “Fenty” and used it for various branded ventures, most notably her successful beauty line Fenty Beauty. Certainly the name has value and is worth protecting. As reported by TMZ, Rihanna is currently endeavoring to protect it from her father, who shares her surname.
According to TMZ, Ronald Fenty recently started a talent development company called Fenty Entertainment. Rihanna has no involvement (she is currently estranged from her father), but claims the company profits off her reputation, including reportedly falsely advertising an association with her in attempts to solicit money and bookings. She’s asked the court for an injunction on her father’s use of the name Fenty and an award of damages.
There are both statutory and economic damage remedies available for trademark damages that Rihanna might pursue, including lost profits or price erosion suffered by her existing Fenty branded lines, a reasonable royalty, the value of any corrective advertising, and/or recovery of any unjust enrichment earned by the infringing use (also known as disgorgement of profits). This related website provides more information regarding these types of intellectual property damages calculations.
