Meghan Markle suffers another US Patent Office snafu as she fails to sign crucial document
Meghan Markle has suffered yet another trademark snafu after she failed to sign a crucial document in her application for her impending lifestyle brand, As Ever.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, revealed last month that she had renamed her brand from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever after a slew of trademark woes — but it seems as though the mishaps keep haunting her yet-to-be-released brand ahead of its official launch.
In documents obtained by The Post, the “Suits” alum has been questioned over her application by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
The USPTO told her that she must clarify what she means by “various items” in her description of inventory, including “spoons, serving jams and fruit preserves.”
The former working royal has also been told to list goods “by their international class number” — something she allegedly failed to do.
“And, above all else, she must sign the document — without which it will not be ‘properly verified,'” royal commentator Richard Eden wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“As expected in any trademark application process, office actions have been received as part of the standard review. These are routine and anticipated. Responses for this particular office action, along with the necessary signatures, have already been submitted,” a source told The Post.
Markle — who now goes by Meghan Sussex — reportedly made a similar mistake previously when trying to secure a trademark for her now-defunct lifestyle blog, the Tig.
And repeated the mistake again when attempting to trademark her now-defunct Spotify podcast, “Archetypes.”
“Bizarrely, Meghan made the same mistake — failing to sign the document — when trying to trademark ‘The Tig’ – the name of her old lifestyle blog – and again with ‘Archetypes’, the name she chose for her short-lived Spotify podcast,” the outlet added.
The Post has reached out to Markle’s reps for comment.
While As Ever has yet to see an official launch date, the lifestyle brand has already been plagued with countless troubles within the last year.
In September 2024, Markle’s application for As Ever — named American Riviera Orchard at the time — was reportedly rejected by the USPTO, who warned that businesses cannot trademark geographical locations.
The government agency also warned that Markle’s product descriptions could fit into multiple trademark categories.
At the time, Markle’s team considered the pushback “routine and expected” when filing for trademarks, The Post heard.
Rival lifestyle brand Harry & David later filed a protest against Markle’s lifestyle brand, claiming the name is far too similar to its “Royal Riviera” product line.
Come November 2024, Markle’s team asked the USPTO for a three-month extension to launch the American Riviera Orchard brand.
After announcing her brand’s new name to the world last month, it soon emerged that the As Ever name already belonged to an independent NYC clothing brand.
The former actress is also reportedly facing possible legal action from a Spanish town over As Ever’s new logo, given its striking similarity to the coat of arms belonging to Porreres — a small village in Mallorca.
Still, the town’s mayor has since said that they simply can’t afford to sue the duchess, despite admitting that As Ever’s logo is an “exact copy” of the town’s historic emblem.
