Meghan Markle’s Bid to Trademark American Riviera Orchard Is Denied Ahead of the Brand’s Expected 2025 Launch
Meghan Markle can’t trademark American Riviera Orchard — at least for now. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has denied Markle’s bid to use the name in a filing dated to Aug. 31.
The Duchess of Sussex revealed her new lifestyle brand in March after filing a trademark for the name American Riviera Orchard in February. The company plans to sell home goods like cookbooks and tableware, as well as food and beverage products including jams and vegetable-based spreads.
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“Registration is refused because the applied-for mark is primarily geographically descriptive,” the USPTO said in its Aug. 31 filing.
American Riviera is a common nickname for the Santa Barbara, Calif., area. The coastal city encompasses the chic California neighborhood of Montecito, where Markle and Prince Harry own a home.
According to the USPTO, the name could confuse consumers: “the purchasing public would be likely to believe that the goods or services originate in the geographic place identified in the mark,” the office added.
It should be noted that the USPTO’s latest filing is nonfinal, and that the Duchess and her lawyers still have an opportunity to appeal the decision.
Alongside the reveal of her new brand, Markle debuted a teaser video on American Riviera Orchard’s Instagram account, which depicts the Duchess of Sussex in her garden and kitchen. She also sent several jars of homemade jam baring American Riviera Orchard’s branding to celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and John Legend back in April.
The launch of American Riviera Orchard is expected to coincide with the premiere of Markle’s new Netflix cooking series, reportedly slated for 2025.
Markle and Prince Harry relocated to California in 2020 after stepping down from their positions as senior members of the British royal family.
Markle has previously dabbled in the lifestyle space: prior to her engagement to Prince Harry, she ran a blog called “The Tig” from 2014 to 2017, where she shared food and travel tips.
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