Didn't see that coming: Harry and Meghan accused of plagiarism!
Santa Barbara, California - In an interview with US talk show legend Oprah Winfrey, Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry called out toxic behavior in the media, as well as within the British royal family. Now the wind is blowing back: the couple is facing plagiarism allegations!
According to the Daily Mail, there's a problem with the new logo for Harry and Meghan's foundation.
The design, white the letters "A" and "W" placed one below the other in a black oval and the word "Archewell" below in black capitals, is allegedly plagiarized.
At least that's what Dmitry Pryanishnikov, head of an Austrian real estate company is claiming. He claimed that the design was copied from the logo for his construction project, "Am Werdertor" in Vienna, which logo was already designed in 2018.
And the similarities are undeniable.
But the entrepreneur seemed to take it calmly: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," said Pryanishnikov.
He also added: "Despite obvious similarities between our logo and the logo of Archewell, we do not plan to take any action in this regard, as the thematic projects are very different in nature, so we do not feel offended."
"You should know better"
Marketing expert Vanessa Liwanag apparently noticed the similarity first.
She told the Daily Mail that she was surprised because the design team at Archewell must not have thought to check out the design themselves before releasing their own version.
"There doesn't seem to be any careful research and effort to come up with a unique branding and creative logo for Archewell," Liwanag said. "They should know better."
These days, it is just as important to check the uniqueness of a logo as it is to determine whether it has already been trademarked or copyrighted, he said.
That Harry and Meghan deliberately plagiarized the logo, however, is unlikely, he said.
Cover photo: IMAGO / PA Images