Meghan Markle Faces Trademark Rejection for Her Lifestyle Brand American Riviera Orchard Hindering Its Launch

As a seasoned observer of the royal family’s ventures into the business world, I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Meghan Markle as she navigates the tricky waters of trademark law. Having followed her journey from Hollywood to the palace, it seems only fitting that she should embark on a new chapter in the form of her own lifestyle brand. Yet, it appears that even the American Riviera Orchard is not immune to the challenges that come with launching a business.


Meghan Markle’s bid for a trademark on her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, has been denied initially. She needs to address the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) concerns within three months regarding her application for American Riviera Orchard trademark. If she fails to respond to these objections by the deadline set by the US patent office, her request may be declined

In a filing on August 31st, the US Patent and Trademark Office stated that the application for Markle’s new lifestyle brand was refused because the proposed mark is predominantly geographically descriptive. This brand, which was launched in March following its trademark registration in February, aims to sell items related to home such as cookbooks, tableware, along with food and beverages including jams and vegetable spreads

Despite her efforts, she hasn’t managed to secure a trademark for her phrase “American Riviera Orchard”. The application was flatly denied because the term “American Riviera” is commonly linked with Santa Barbara, California – the region where she lives with Prince Harry and their kids

Based on the USPTO’s assessment, there is a possibility that the brand name might confuse consumers. In other words, they suggested that people could assume the products or services come from the location mentioned in the trademark

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has found several issues with Markle’s patent application. These include deleting the term ‘Riviera’, as explained in the attached documents, adhering to multi-class application protocols, and specifying particular products. US authorities expressed concern that the item description terms “cooking utensils”, “pans”, and “cocktail napkins” were overly general and unspecific. Additionally, Markle’s team, who made errors during submission, may need to pay a fine of up to 700 USD to reinitiate the application process

Getting a trademark can be quite challenging, as even an expert at The Express would agree. It’s not the norm for someone like Markle to sail through these processes without encountering hurdles. However, despite these complications, this same source maintains that Markle is “absolutely dedicated” to her brand, suggesting she won’t easily abandon her efforts

The launch of products under her brand has been temporarily paused, with no items available for purchase despite a grand Instagram introduction approximately five months ago. Currently, the brand’s website and social media page lack any shopping options. In contrast to past instances where she would send jam jars as gifts to Instagram influencers and celebrities like Kris Jenner, Mindy Kaling, and others, there has been no such activity recently from Markle

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2024-09-05 14:56