Brooklyn Beckham and Brothers’ Trademarks on Their Names Called into Question amid Family Drama

NEED TO KNOW

• The trademarks on the names of the four Beckham children are being called into question amid drama between the famous family members

• David Beckham and Victoria Beckham are parents to four children — sons Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, Romeo Beckham and Cruz Beckham, plus daughter Harper Beckham

• Records from the U.K.’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) show that Victoria owns the trademarks on the names of all four of her children, but a source close to the family tells PEOPLE that the situation is a “misunderstanding”

The trademarks on the names of the four Beckham children — Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Cruz Beckham and Harper Beckham — are being called into question amid drama between the famous family members.

In a bombshell Instagram Stories post on Jan. 19, Brooklyn, 26, claimed that his parents, dad David Beckham, and mom, Victoria Beckham, tried to “bribe” him into “signing away the rights” to his name, and reports later surfaced that Victoria, 51, owns the trademarks on the names of all four of her children.

Records from the U.K.’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO), viewed by PEOPLE, show that Victoria, 51, owns the trademarks on the names of all four of her children, but a source close to the family tells PEOPLE that the situation is a “misunderstanding,” considering the fashion designer obtained the trademarks when all of her children were minors and unable to file for themselves.

“Of course, a parent or adult would make the original filing if the person were a child at the point they needed to register, but Brooklyn and his brothers, who are now all over 18, own their trademarks and Brooklyn manages his with his own team,” the insider further claims.

Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Victoria Beckham

Cruz Beckham, Harper Beckham, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham in 2022.

The IPO records show that Victoria filed for ownership of the brand name “Brooklyn Beckham,” as well as trademarks on the names of her other three children, in December 2016.

All of the trademarks were then entered in the registry the following year. They are set to expire this December, according to the records.

To own a trademark, a person must be able to own property, The Times reported.

When Brooklyn, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 20, all became adults, they would have been able to request that the legal rights to their names be transferred to them, per the outlet.

Before that, the Beckham children would need Victoria’s permission for any deals that use their names, according to The Times. Harper is currently 14 years old.

The trademarks cover dozens of products and services, including makeup, body oils, sunglasses, pens, holdalls, electric train sets, leather goods, shoes, tote bags and music, the IPO records show.

The rift between Brooklyn and the rest of the Beckham family is believed to have begun in April 2022, when the rising chef married Nicola Peltz Beckham.

In his Jan. 19 Instagram post, Brooklyn claimed that his parents attempted to coerce him into signing something right before his wedding, though he did not specify details of the paperwork or current status of trademark ownership. 

“They were adamant on me signing before the 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 wrote in his social media post, in part.

Darren Gerrish/WireImage

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham attend the Victoria Beckham Spring/Summer ’25 fashion show on Sept. 27, 2024

“My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else,” Brooklyn then alleged. “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 opp, even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations.”

He also said that he believed “signing away the rights to my name” would have “affected me, my wife and our future children.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Victoria and David, 50, have yet to respond to the accusations Brooklyn made on his Instagram Stories.

A source recently told PEOPLE that Victoria and David do not want to lose Brooklyn, and they would accept him back into their lives if he wanted to form a relationship again.

“They are afraid of losing their son and would take him back in a minute,” the insider said. “They are a close family, too. Just in a different way than Nicola’s family is.”

Brooklyn wrote in his Jan. 19 Instagram post, however, that he does not want to “reconcile” with his family.

Read the original article on People