Nothing but trouble!

Duchess Meghan: Her lifestyle brand is in danger

Duchess Meghan has little reason to laugh at the moment. Her lifestyle brand is causing her all kinds of problems

(Bild: www.viennareport.at)

Duchess Meghan actually wanted to launch her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard this year. But whether the plan can be kept is now more questionable. The company name and logo are now causing huge problems. 

In spring and early summer, Duchess Meghan sent jam and dog cookies to her friends to promote her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard. However, it is still unclear when her fans will be able to browse through the online store.

Logo fails at the patent office
Although it was initially said that Meghan's brand would start selling this year, this goal seems to be moving further and further away. Not least because more and more problems are arising with American Riviera Orchard.

As the Daily Mail has now reported, it is the brand's logo that is currently causing the Duchess of Sussex headaches. This is because the US Patent and Trademark Office has objected to the way in which the letter O for Orchard is depicted in it. 

"The applicant must submit an amended description of the mark that is consistent with the mark on the drawing," the British newspaper quotes from the patent office's communication. This is because: "The current description of the mark indicates that the letter O appears in the mark. However, the letter is so stylized in the logo that it is no longer recognizable as a letter."

The consequence: Duchess Meghan must submit a new design of her logo. And as long as the Patent Office does not approve it, the ex-actress's trademark application could not be approved.

Brand name also causes trouble
However, it's not just the squiggly logo that is causing problems, but also the name American Rivera Orchard itself. As recently as the end of August, the Patent and Trademark Office is said to have rejected an application from Prince Harry's wife to register the brand name.

Duchess Meghan probably imagined her path to becoming a lifestyle queen to be less nerve-wracking.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Raul ARBOLEDA)

The complaint is that US companies do not allow geographical locations to be protected as brand names - and this includes nicknames such as American Rivera. This is often used for the stretch of coast around Montecito in California. This is where Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have built their new life since their new start in the USA.

Meghan has already shed tears
Will Duchess Meghan simply shrug off the latest setbacks? As royal expert Tom Quinn recently revealed to the Mirror, the Duchess of Sussex has already shed a few tears over her lifestyle brand. Above all, the ridicule she received after sending out her first jars of strawberry jam had taken its toll on the 43-year-old. 

"She's at a point now where she thinks everything she does is unfairly criticized," the royal expert explained of Meghan's frustration. "Like her husband, she feels people are unfairly picking on her. She can't understand why people don't admire her work."