Avoid confusion
By RTL Nieuws·4 hours ago·Edit: 2 hours ago
© ANPRTL
Can André Hazes Jr. call himself André Hazes as an artist? Not if it’s up to his mother. Rachel Hazes has ordered her son to stop using his father’s name, while the 30-year-old singer has been doing so for years. According to lawyer Charlotte Meindersma, who delved into the case, Rachel is not strong with her claim.
André Hazes Jr. is the son of the Amsterdam folk singer André Hazes Sr., who died in 2004. She believes in me, A little bit in love, Blood sweat and tears: the songs are still frequently sung by Hazes Jr., who now performs as an artist himself . He does this under the name André Hazes, without ‘jr.’ so.
But the name André Hazes is also a brand owned by mother Rachel. The Hazes family has been in conflict for a long time. The summons is the latest chapter in that feud. “If my mother wanted to do harm, I would have to change my name, so my stage name. While it is my name,” André said earlier this year in the Belgian talk show De Tafel van Gert, presented by Gert Verhulst.
That moment arrived yesterday: André’s management confirmed to RTL Boulevard that Rachel wants her son ‘jr.’ adds to his name. Rachel does not want her son to perform as André Hazes anymore.
According to lawyer Charlotte Meindersma of Charlotte’s Law, Rachel has registered seven trademarks. Five of them are called André Hazes (without an accent on the e), the other and the oldest brand go by the name André Hazes (with an accent). There is also the Typisch André Hazes brand. This means that Rachel has the exclusive right to use that brand name for the products and services it offers under it, for example beer, events and music.
Response from management André Hazes
André Hazes’ management told RTL Boulevard yesterday that the singer is ‘extremely upset’ by this demand from his mother. André wouldn’t understand where Rachel’s action came from. “In his opinion, he is a proud successor to his father.”
André and his team of lawyers are discussing what to do. It is clear that he does not just leave it at that. He wants to continue using the name André Hazes. “Because no one who hears that André Hazes is coming to perform thinks that the old Hazes will be there.”
Management has not (yet) responded to RTL Nieuws’ contact request today.
“André Hazes (the son of, ed.) must be careful how he uses his name in business. His personal name is André Hazes, so he can continue to call himself that, but it is about how he uses his name. That should not cause confusion for its mother’s brand name products and services.”
Confusion
According to her, it makes no difference that father Hazes has been dead for over twenty years. “There may still be confusion that young André may perform the same music as his deceased father,” says Meindersma. Son André could avoid possible ambiguity by posting a photo with announcements so that it is immediately clear that it concerns him.
More than 5 years
What weakens Rachel’s claim is the fact that it appears that André has been calling himself André Hazes as a singer for more than five years, so without Jr. behind it. Albums from 2018 and 2019, among others, have ‘André Hazes’ next to the album name. The 2017 album ‘Leef’ does say jr. next to the first and last name.
Meindersma: “If he has consistently called himself André Hazes as a singer for five years or more, that makes Rachel’s position a lot weaker. Then she is probably too late because she has already had five years to contest it and you actually have to accept that someone else uses that brand name.”
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