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MY WORD

Meghan Markle tries to trademark everyday word for Spotify podcast title despite it being around for HUNDREDS of years

MEGHAN Markle has tried to trademark the word archetypes for the title of her new Spotify podcast.

The Duchess of Sussex filed the application last month - despite the ancient Greek word being used in English since around the 1540s.

Harry and Meghan's production company Archewell Audio applied to trademark the word archetypes last month
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Harry and Meghan's production company Archewell Audio applied to trademark the word archetypes last monthCredit: Getty

Archetype is defined as being "typical of an original thing from which others are copied".

An application by Archewell Audio - Prince Harry and Meghan's production company - to trademark it is listed on the United States Patent and Trademark Office site.

It comes under the category "goods and services" and covers a long list of related items including downloadable audio recordings and podcasts.

All the items apply to "the fields of cultural treatment of women and stereotypes facing women".

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If the trademark is granted, it would mean Archewell Audio own it rather than Spotify, which paid Harry and Meghan a rumoured £18million for their partnership in 2020.

But Meghan could face a legal challenge from companies that use the word in their names, such as the skincare and cleaning products business Archetypes, which already has a trademark, the reports.

It comes after the duchess announced Archetypes - her first solo podcast - will be released this summer.

The series will look into labels and stereotypes "that try to hold women back" and will feature interviews with experts and historians during episodes.

In a trailer last month, Meghan said: "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?

"And how do they keep showing up and defining our lives?"

The duchess, previewing the type of guests who will feature, added: "This is Archetypes - the podcast where we dissect, explore, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back.

"I'll have conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape our narratives.

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"And I'll talk to historians to understand how we even got here in the first place."

Harry and Meghan's only podcast effort so far has been a 35-minute 'holiday special' in December 2020, featuring celebrity pals Elton John and James Corden.

What is the dictionary definition for 'Archetype'?

  • Cambridge: 'Typical of an original thing from which others are copied.'
  • Oxford: 'The most typical or perfect example of a particular kind of person or thing.'
  • Merriam-Webster: 'The original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies.'
Meghan and Harry hosted their first podcast episode in December 2020
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Meghan and Harry hosted their first podcast episode in December 2020Credit: Getty
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