Prince originally filed an application for trademark registration of the symbol with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 1993. However, the USPTO initially rejected the application on the grounds that the symbol lacked distinctiveness and that it may cause confusion with an existing symbol known as the "Ankh."
Prince and his legal team responded by providing arguments and submissions to establish the distinctiveness and ownership of the Love Symbol #2. After further examinations and negotiations, the USPTO ultimately granted Prince the trademark registration for the symbol in October 1994.
Prince's copyright over the Love Symbol #2 protected his exclusive rights to use, reproduce, distribute, and exhibit the symbol for commercial purposes. The copyright lasted for the author's lifetime plus an additional 70 years after their death. In Prince's case, since he passed away in 2016, the copyright protection for the Love Symbol #2 is expected to remain in effect until 2086.
However, it's essential to note that copyright law protects original creative works of expression, such as literary, musical, and artistic works. While Prince may have held the copyright for specific artistic representations or uses of the Love Symbol #2, the basic geometric shape or form of the symbol itself may not necessarily be subject to copyright protection. Certain other uses or variations of the symbol could potentially fall under trademark or design patent protections