Victoria Beckham trademarked all of her kids' names - here’s what it means for Brooklyn
Several legal experts have weighed in following Brooklyn's shocking claims made about his parents earlier this week (19 January)
It's been a few days now since Brooklyn Beckham effectively broke the internet and took to Instagram to make several bombshell claims about his family.
Now, as we know, 26-year-old Brooklyn is the eldest of David and Victoria's four children, who include Romeo, 23, Cruz, 20, and 14-year-old Harper.
His statements, posted to his Instagram Stories on Monday (19 January), include accusations which ranged from wedding dress speculation to his and his wife Nicola Peltz's first dance drama dating back to 2022 and, of course, the alleged 'Brand Beckham' backlash.
"Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed," he claimed, adding that he 'doesn't want to reconcile with his family'.
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Elsewhere in his series of text post statements, Brooklyn opened up about his name rights, claiming that, in the weeks leading up to his big day, his parents allegedly repeatedly pressured – and attempted to incentivise – him into signing an agreement that would have transferred or restricted the commercial rights to his own name.
Brooklyn alleged that the timing was deliberate, that the consequences would be wide-reaching for his future family, and that his refusal marked a turning point both financially and personally.
"Weeks before our big day, my parents repeatedly pressured and attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name, which would have affected me, my wife, and our future children," Brooklyn wrote.
"They were adamant on me signing before my wedding date because then the terms of the deal would be initiated. My holdout affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since."
He continued: "My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else. Brand Beckham comes first. Family 'love' is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo op even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations."
Now, it is true that Victoria has trademarked all four of her children's names - but what does it actually mean for Brooklyn?
According to official documents from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the Spice Girls alum has owned the brand name 'Brooklyn Beckham'.
On top of this, she also owns the trademarks to the names of her other three children - all of which expire in December of this year.
Their names have been trademarked in seven categories, including beauty products, such as perfume, make-up and anti-ageing creams, stationery, handbags, books, clothing, toys and dolls. They have also had their names trademarked and are covered in the entertainment industry.
Sarah Williams, the director of intellectual property, trademarks & designs at Walker Morris, told The Times that it was 'rare' for parents to trademark their children’s names.
As per the outlet, estranged Brooklyn would be able to challenge Victoria's registration on grounds of non-use, as could his other three siblings if they decided to try to take back control of their names.
Any challenge would be public and would likely run through the IPO rather than the courts.
Victoria would have to show the trademark had been used for the goods and services listed. If not, she could be required to give up control. Refusing the decision could still push the dispute into court.
The mum-of-four could also, reportedly, argue that Brooklyn's name 'only means something because of [her]' said Hayleigh Bosher, a lecturer in intellectual property law at Brunel University London.
However, she also speculated that the fashion designer would want to avoid further media damage to her family.
"If this is all in the news, people don’t know about trademarks, and he’ll be seen as the innocent little kid pushed out of the family, and it would just look so bad on the rest of them. From a PR perspective, it would be a terrible idea, but legally they would have an argument," Bosher claimed.
Beyond Corporate’s Head of Commercial Law, James Corlett, added in a separate comment: "David and Victoria Beckham could not have prevented Brooklyn from using his name as his personal identity. Under UK law, individuals have strong rights to use their own name, regardless of how commercially valuable a family surname may be.
"However, the legal picture changes when trademarks are involved. DB Ventures Limited owns registered trademarks for 'BECKHAM' across clothing, fragrances, and other merchandise, and has built significant commercial goodwill around that brand."
Corlett added: "Those trademark rights mean the company could legitimately prevent Brooklyn from using 'Beckham' as a standalone commercial brand in ways that conflict with existing registrations. But without a signed agreement assigning or limiting his rights, that control goes no further.
"In short: the Beckhams may own the brand – but they do not own their son’s name."
Topics: Brooklyn Beckham, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Celebrity, UK News, Parenting, Explained, Nicola Peltz
Rhiannon Ingle