Meghan Markle is facing another setback after the United States Patent and Trademark Office (UPSTO) raised questions about the way the text in the logo for her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, is rendered.
A 42-year-old woman’s application to trademark her brand name was rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which ruled that companies are prohibited from trademarking geographic locations.
The Daily Mail reports that the agency has questioned the depiction of the letter “O” in The Orchard because it is “not a recognisable letter”.
In a “non-final action” document following the attorneys’ review of the application, the USPTO said Meghan “must submit an amended description of the mark that is consistent with the mark on the drawing.”
The company said the description of the logo did not match its actual depiction and was “therefore inaccurate.”
“In particular, the current trademark description indicates that the letter ‘O’ is included within the trademark,” it said.
“However, the letters are now too clearly visible or highly stylized to be recognizable as letters. Furthermore, the description is incomplete as it does not describe all the elements of the trademark.”
UPSTO also proposed revisions to the logo’s description to make it more accurate.
The case adds salt to the wound, after the Daily Mail reported that Meghan’s attempt to trademark limited-edition jams and other handcrafted products was rejected on August 31.
“Because the marks requested are primarily geographically descriptive, registration is denied,” the USPTO said in the application, according to the magazine.
“Commonly used nicknames for geographic locations are generally treated as equivalent to the correct geographic name of the identified location.”
The department also noted numerous inconsistencies in her trademark registration documents regarding the classification of goods.
For example, the Duchess’s brand’s “cookware” could be classified in the manual or electric category, while “cocktail napkins” could be classified in the paper or textile category.
The setback comes after the UPSTO rejected the former actress’ trademark application filed in February.
According to the filing, the Duchess had planned for the new brand to sell a range of products including homewares, cookware, cosmetics and even pet food.
But she has struggled to find a partner to launch the line and has reportedly been unable to find a permanent CEO for the company.
Inside sources say the Duchess has been working behind the scenes to prepare to launch her own fashion label later this year.
Her parents told People magazine that her new business will “reflect everything she loves: family, cooking, entertaining and home décor.”
Meghan is also curating and executive producing her own cooking show, which is rumored to be scheduled to premiere on Netflix at a later date.
