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Archewell Audio, the production company launched by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, has filed an application to trademark the word “Archetypes,” Fox News Digital has learned.
According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database, the application was filed two days after the Duchess of Sussex announced her forthcoming Spotify podcast, titled “Archetypes,” last month.
If the trademark filing is approved, the word would be protected in entertainment services, such as podcasts, on-demand streaming media, live stage performances and webcasts, among others.
The move has prompted backlash from British tabloids, insisting the term derives from Ancient Greece and first entered into the English language during the 1540s. However, trademarking words associated with a brand is common practice. Such brands that have trademarked their name include Apple and Google.
MEGHAN MARKLE’S SPOTIFY PODCAST ‘ARCHETYPES’ TO EXAMINE ‘LABELS THAT TRY TO HOLD WOMEN BACK’
Meghan Markle is launching her podcast “Archetypes” this year.
(Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
On March 24, Spotify announced that the former American actress is hosting a new podcast that will “investigate the labels that try to hold women back.” The 40-year-old will speak with historians and experts to “uncover the origin of these stereotypes and have uncensored conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape narratives.”
The title of the show refers to the theme of the series, as well as Archewell, the nonprofit organization founded by the royal couple. That name pays tribute to their firstborn Archie.
The former “Suits” star, who has a history of activism for women’s rights, revealed in an audio teaser that she hopes to address stereotypes that have long generalized women.
“This is how we talk about women: the words that raise our girls, and how the media reflects women back to us… but where do these stereotypes come from?” questioned Markle. “And how do they keep showing up and defining our lives?”
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Former American actress Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Britain’s Prince Harry.
(AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
“This is ‘Archetypes’ – the podcast where we dissect, explore and subvert the labels that try to hold women back,” she continued. “I’ll have the conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape our narratives. And I’ll talk to historians to understand how we even got here in the first place.”
A spokesperson for the couple’s production company, Archewell Audio, recently told FOX Business that in an effort to mitigate the spread of misinformation, they are committed to working with the content streamer to continue the conversation surrounding transparency regarding Spotify’s policies and practices.
The news came following reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were allegedly considering leaving the streaming platform after they had concerns about how Spotify handled the spreading of information regarding the coronavirus.
Archewell Audio maintained that its conversations with Spotify have been encouraging and productive, thus they are confident moving forward with their multiyear exclusive Spotify deal and are expected to launch the Duchess of Sussex’s podcast series, which is expected to premiere this summer.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in California.
(Chris Jackson – Pool/Getty Images)
In Dec. 2020, Fox News Digital confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a podcasting deal with Spotify.
“What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a joint statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.”
The couple added that they wanted to “spotlight diverse perspectives and voices.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may live in California, but the power of their voices rests in their status as citizens of the world,” Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s chief content and advertising business officer, added in the press release. “That they are embracing the extraordinary capacity of podcasts on Spotify while also seeking to elevate underrepresented voices is a testament to their appreciation for the potential of audio storytelling.”
MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY DONATE TO UKRAINE THROUGH THEIR ARCHEWELL FOUNDATION
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departure as senior royals began in 2020.
(AP)
“We are proud to partner with The Duke and Duchess and look forward to listeners hearing directly from them and the other creators that they will be elevating via our global platform,” the statement added.
At the time of the announcement, the duke and duchess had already signed an exclusive production deal with Netflix.
Markle became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince, 37, in May 2018 at Windsor Castle. The couple welcomed a son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departures from royal duties began in 2020 over what they described as the British media’s intrusions and racist attitudes toward the duchess. The family now resides in the coastal city of Montecito, California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are parents to son Archie and daughter Lilibet.
(Getty)
In the wake of quitting royal duties, the couple gave an explosive TV interview to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, in which the couple described painful comments about how dark Archie’s skin might be before his birth. The duchess talked about the intense isolation she felt inside the royal family that led her to contemplate suicide.
Buckingham Palace said the allegations of racism made by the couple were “concerning” and would be addressed privately.
On June 4 of that year, the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
The name pays tribute to both Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname is Lilibet, and his late mother, Princess Diana.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
