Meghan Markle asks US Patent Office for more time to correct American Riviera Orchard trademark application
Meghan Markle has asked the US Patent and Trademark Office for extra time to launch her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has faced a slew of ongoing trademark troubles since announcing the brand’s impending launch in March.
In documents obtained by The Post, the “Suits” alum’s legal team has requested a three-month extension in her attempt to secure a trademark for the yet-to-be released brand.
If Markle and her team miss the next deadline, she will be forced to kickstart the application process from scratch.
The former actress’ extension request comes just one month after American Riviera Orchard was slapped with yet another trademark snafu.
Rival lifestyle brand Harry & David filed a protest against Markle’s lifestyle brand, claiming the name is far too similar to its “Royal Riviera” product line.
The US Patent and Trademark Office received a protest filing on Oct. 31 from US-based premium food and gift retailer Harry & David, documents obtained by The Post show.
The company’s “Royal Riviera” trademark is currently registered to the brand’s pear gift baskets, which are grown in Oregon. Markle’s team declined to comment at the time.
And in September, the mom of two’s trademark application was refused by the USPTO, who warned that businesses cannot trademark geographical locations.
The brand’s name is a sweet nod to Santa Barbara, Calif., where Markle resides with her husband, Prince Harry, and their two children.
The USPTO said the addition of the word Orchard “does not diminish the primarily geographical descriptiveness of the applied for mark.”
It added that since there is a location mentioned in the brand’s name, “a public association of the goods and services with the place is presumed.”
The government agency also warned that her product descriptions could fit into multiple trademark categories.
At the time, her team said the pushback was “routine and expected.” Sources told The Post that her camp was gearing up to respond in due course.
Markle was given three months to address the response made by the USPTO — prompting her to now request an extension.
She was also told to pay an additional $700 to move forward with the trademark filing.
After the pushback, it was reported that Markle was considering switching up the name of her lifestyle brand to avoid anymore trademark hiccups.
The former actress unveiled her business venture in March — but nine months later, there’s still no release date or information about the products that customers can expect to be up for sale.
While products from her brand are not available for purchase yet, Markle sent out jars of strawberry jam to an exclusive group of celebs in April, prompting a “strong start” to the company’s delayed rollout.
