Meghan Markle’s American Riviera Orchard Faces Yet Another Trademark Hiccup, Potentially Pushing Its Launch Further

Meghan Markle really teased a major comeback moment when she announced American Riviera Orchard earlier this year. It finally felt like Markle was stepping back into her pre-Duchess days when her lifestyle insights had a fan club of their own. But since the announcement, there has been a bit of a dry spell in the brand’s launch, with just a little information available about the potential product offering. Now, however, it seems that the lifestyle guru comeback fans were so eagerly looking forward to might just be pushed further into the unknown. 

Markle’s brand recently faced yet another trademark protest, making American Riviera Orchard’s launch feel almost like a distant fantasy.

Meghan Markle faces fresh trademark opposition from a competitor

Ever since Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard was announced, its unique name drew a lot of attention- and a bunch of trademark troubles. Turns out, as thoughtful as the name is, it is not exactly ‘one of a kind.’ Recently, another trademark protest was filed by a rival lifestyle brand, Harry & David, claiming the name is just a little too close to its Royal Riviera product line, according to The Post.

The letter of protest, which The Post got its hands on, stated there is a “likelihood of confusion” for the trademark and that the case has now been escalated to Marco Wright, the Trademark Office’s examining attorney. In September, Markle’s trademark application for her brand was rejected by the US Patent and Trademark Office, which warned that businesses cannot trademark geographical locations. But it was not just the brand’s name that has been hitting a bump for the brand’s launch.

The USPTO raised an issue with American Riviera Orchard’s logo as well, while considering Markle’s trademark application. 

Meghan Markle’s brand is plagued by trademark errors

Meghan Markle’s American Riviera Orchard logo featured a double-lined octagon that holds the letters “AR” with some decorative loops. There is also a flower sitting pretty on top of the letter “A“. But as fancy as it looks, the USPTO pointed out that the description of the logo does not match the design. They particularly singled out the “O” in the brand’s insignia.

Sources told Express UK that this rejection has sent Markle’s team into a creative tailspin. They are even mulling over a move reminiscent of Kim Kardashian’s last-minute switch to the name “SKIMS” for her shapewear line, right after its debut. With more trademark headaches piling up, it looks like Markle has quite the battle ahead to finally get her brand off the ground.

What do you think about this new American Riviera Orchard hiccup? Let us know in your thoughts in the comments below!