Meghan Markle's upcoming lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, has suffered another blow after its trademark application was rejected.
The Duchess of Sussex's application was rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which warned that companies cannot trademark geographic locations. Telegraph I will report.
American Riviera is a love note for Santa Barbara, California, where Markle lives with her husband, Prince Harry, and their two children.
The USPTO said Saturday that the addition of the word “Orchard” “does not detract from the primarily geographic descriptive nature of the marks as applied for.”
It added that because a brand name mentions a location, “it is presumed that the product or service is publicly associated with that place.”
Markle's team believes resistance is “common and expected” when it comes to trademark applications, and The Washington Post has heard the team plans to respond in due course.
The agency also warned that product descriptions featuring “Suits” stars could fall under multiple trademark categories, the media added.
The documents also included screenshots of another Santa Barbara-based business selling candles under the name “American Riviera,” proving the nickname is widely associated with the region.
But that evidence was deemed insufficient. The USPTO said the purpose of such rulings is to “ensure that all businesses operating in the same geographic area are free to use geographic names to inform customers of the origin of their goods and services.”
“Furthermore, the attached evidence indicates that the applicant's founder, i.e. Meghan Markle, resides in the geographic location identified in the trademark, and therefore purchasers are likely to believe that the goods and services originate from the geographic location identified in the trademark,” it added.
The 43-year-old former actress has three months to respond to the USPTO's response or risk having her application withdrawn.
To proceed with the trademark application, an additional $700 must be paid.
The mother of two announced her new business venture in March, hinting that it was about to launch, but six months later, there's still no information on a launch date or what products customers can expect to see for sale.
While her brand's products aren't yet available to buy, Markle gifted jars of strawberry jam to select celebrities in April to encourage a “hot start” to the company's rollout.
Since then, the mother of two has sent dog biscuits to her celebrity friends and teased a range of rosé wines in the future.
It was reported earlier this year that Markle could be aiming to make a massive seven-figure sum within a year of launching the brand.
