Prince Harry Thongs Available To Buy In UK After Chinese Clothing Company Gains Right To Use Royal's Name On Its Pants

Prince Harry Thongs Available To Buy In UK After Chinese Clothing Company Gains Right To Use Royal's Name On Its Pants

Would you jump at the chance to wear Prince Harry's pants? While it may sound a little odd, you could soon have the chance to buy Harry-branded thongs, jewellery and watches bearing the royal's name in the UK.

Chinese fashion firm, Yiwu Novo Clothing Company Limited, could be rolling out clothing and accessories with the 29-year-old's name emblazoned all over them, after recently registering the trademark in China.

Harry and his older brother William have previously taken measures to protect their names in the UK and Europe, with both princes and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, setting up companies to manage their image rights.

But the tricky thing is... UK and EU trademarks and image rights do not apply elsewhere around the world. Eeek!

So will we be able to wear PH pants in the near future? A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which regulates trademarks in Britain, told the Daily Mail Harry will have trouble stopping his name being used unless they themselves register in China.

Whether the Chinese products could be imported and sold in the UK is a legal grey area, because, and here comes the jargon, use of his name could be seen as mere "decoration" - which is allowed - rather than "branding", which is certainly not allowed and is protected under the prince's image rights.

The Duke of Cambridge - who is currently on the last leg of the Royal Tour of New Zealand and Australia with his wife Kate and their eight-month-old son Prince George - has already had his name snapped up and used on a range of kitchen goods including extractor hoods and microwave ovens. Glamourous!

Even Prince George isn't safe from having his name slapped over really random products, with his moniker used as branding by a company producing wood pulp and chemicals in China.

Speaking of PG, check out all the best snaps of him and his 'rents on the Royal Tour in the gallery below.

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