Meghan Markle's American Riviera Orchard faces setback over logo in latest brand blunder

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle's home goods brand, American Riviera Orchard, is facing additional challenges, particularly with the loop in its logo.

Recently, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected a brand name application, citing that geographic locations cannot be trademarked, Daily Mail reported. This decision pertains to the 'American Riviera,' a term used for the coastline near the Sussexes' residence in Montecito, California.

USPTO questions accuracy of 'O' depiction in Meghan Markle's brand logo

The same office is now examining the depiction of the letter 'O' in Orchard’s elaborate and swirling logo. This scrutiny comes as Meghan and Harry seek to boost their brand following the conclusion of their $20 million Spotify deal.

In the "non-final action" document, the USPTO states that the application has been reviewed by an examining attorney. It requires the applicant to submit an amended description of the mark that matches the mark depicted in the drawing.

It further read, "The current description is inconsistent with the mark on the drawing and is thus inaccurate. Descriptions must be accurate and identify only those literal and design elements appearing in the mark."

"In particular, the current mark description indicates that the letter 'O' appears in the mark. However, the letter is now clearly visible or highly stylized that it is unrecognizable as a letter. Furthermore, the description is incomplete because it does not describe all the elements in the mark," it went on stating.

Office suggests revised logo description for Meghan Markle

The office offers Meghan Markle guidance by suggesting a more accurate description of the current image if she encounters difficulties.

It writes: "The following description is suggested, if accurate: The mark consists of a double lined octagon enclosing the stylized and overlapping letters 'AR' and incorporating decorative and looping lines. The latter 'A' contains a stylized flower at the top of the letter."

The document criticized Meghan's descriptions of some goods she intends to market, describing them as "too broad." This includes items such as "bath soap, cocktail napkins, pans, cooking utensils—namely forks, strainers, spoons, spreaders, spatulas, whisks, tongs."

The descriptions for "yoga blankets" and "meditation blankets" were scrutinized, with the office recommending they be classified as "gift wrap of fabric or textile."

Meghan Markle's application for American Riviera Orchard's trademark rejected by USPTO

Meghan Markle's application includes stationery sets with items such as letter openers, envelopes, printed note cards, holiday cards, greeting cards, invitations, recipe cards, and embossed stationery. The latest document suggests adding more detailed wording to clarify the classification.

In March, the Duchess of Sussex began promoting American Riviera Orchard by distributing 50 jars of 'homemade' strawberry jam to celebrities, with each jar featuring a unique batch number.

 

Her recent setback for the company follows earlier issues and unsuccessful attempts to secure rights for her podcast brand, 'Archewell,' last year.

Furthermore, the USPTO's rejection of the name on August 31 revealed several issues with the application, including an apparent oversight by Meghan's representatives in failing to sign the necessary documents.

Internet reacts to Meghan Markle’s branding efforts

Immediately after the news was published on the Daily Mail's platform, readers began to react.

A reader suggested, "Give up Meghan. There must be easier ways to make money. What about flipping burgers?"

Another added, "If she had wanted to use the ARO letters in her logo something less messy would have worked. A simple art deco style with An A and R combined within the confines of a circle/ letter O would have been nicer than trying to hide the letters within a diagram of her royal reproductive system with a squished antler beetle mushed in."

A third user wrote, "Very childish logo in my opinion. Maybe a 13 year old trying out a bit of old script? Appalling actually. Deliberately omitting the O as if she is owning American Riviera. Dreadful."

"Dreadful mess anyway," another remarked.

A user commented, "Shows she's bland inside & out."

Another added, "I personally don't see any letters, just a fake royal cypher. I'm so pleased things aren't working out for her."

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