Meghan Markle Faces Potential Lawsuit After Trademark Authority Sends Warning Notice

Meghan Markle is facing a significant challenge as she prepares to launch her lifestyle brand. The Duchess of Sussex has received a warning regarding trademark issues.

She recently renamed her brand from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever. However, a Chinese clothing company has registered the same name, complicating her plans.

Back in October 2022, Meghan’s legal team applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to sell clothing, including aprons, jams, and dog biscuits under the As Ever name.

In July 2023, she received a “partial rejection” on this trademark. The office determined that the name could confuse consumers because it is too similar to the existing trademark.

The ruling stated, “The marks are identical in sound and virtually identical in appearance and are thus confusingly similar for the purposes of determining likelihood of confusion.”

In January 2024, Meghan’s lawyers revised her application to exclude clothing. This change led to her trademark being approved for other products.

If Meghan wants to sell clothing under her brand, she will need to create a new name. Otherwise, she risks a significant lawsuit for trademark infringement.