MEGHAN Markle is believed to have had a whimsical quote from her dad about her freckles copyrighted back in 1995.
The former Suits actress, 37, then going by her first name Rachel, appears to have applied for copyright on the phrase “a face without freckles is night without stars”, according to the United States Copyright Office.
The listing, registered on January 18, 1996, also states her full name, Rachel Meghan Markle, and her year of birth, 1981. The Duchess of Sussex would have been just 14 at the time.
While another Meghan Markle may have applied for the copyright, a search found no other Rachel Meghan Markles were born in 1981.
There is one other Meghan Markle but she has a different middle name.
The quote reportedly comes from Meghan’s now estranged father Thomas Markle who used to say it to his daughter when she was younger.
WHAT IS US COPYRIGHT LAW?
Copyright law in the U.S. is governed by federal statute, namely the Copyright Act of 1976. The Copyright Act prevents the unauthorized copying of a work of authorship. However, only the copying of the work is prohibited–anyone may copy the ideas contained within a work.
Copyrights can be registered in the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress, but newly created works do not need to be registered. However, the Copyright Act does provide additional benefits to those who register with the Copyright Office. Consequently, copyright registration and the use of a copyright notice is recommended.
Source: Bitlaw
There was speculation as to whether Meghan had taken the quotation from the Pala Joy Waltar song, A Sky With No Blue.
The lyrics include the lines “a girl without freckles is like a night without stars.”
However, according to US copyright law, the lyrics could have been created independently and therefore there was no plagiarism.
In order to copyright a phrase, the claimant must prove that their work is original before paying a fee (between £175 to £315) to have it trademarked.
The Duchess of Sussex has previously spoken out about her love of her freckles admitting that it was a “pet peeve” when they were airbrushed out of her photos.
In an interview with Allure magazine, she said: "To this day, my pet peeve is when my skin tone is changed and my freckles are airbrushed out of a photo shoot."
Her inspirational approach to her skin encouraged a social media movement following the royal wedding with women sharing selfies with the hashtags #freckleslikemeghan, #frecklesfordays and #frecklegang.
And now Meghan’s freckles are something to be desired, with faux-freckles among the most requested treatments that women want.
According to Dr Sam Khani, an aesthetic doctor at London Premier Laser Clinics, her freckled skin is what women are after.
He told Fabulous Digital earlier this year: “"There has been a surge in demand for treatments to imitate the royal-mum-to-be, and we have seen increasing requests from women of all skin types for £200 semi-permanent ‘faux-freckle’ make-up.”
Kensington Palace has been contacted for comment.
In other royal news, we told you how Kate removed diamonds from Diana's earrings while Meghan blinged up her late mother-in-law's ring.
And Prince George's teacher is engaged to marry his dad's best friend Thomas van Straubenzee.
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