Meghan Markle's bid to turn her lifestyle brand As Ever into the next big name in luxury living has once again stumbled, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected her application over a series of procedural oversights, most notably the failure to sign key documents. According to insiders, the Duchess of Sussex has directed her frustration squarely at her legal and business team, whom she accuses of mishandling the process, leaving her "a laughing stock" among California's elite circles.
RadarOnline.com reports that Markle is furious after the USPTO knocked back her As Ever trademark submission due to incomplete paperwork. The filing was deemed invalid because it lacked her signature - an essential component to verify the application properly. The rejection marks the second time Markle's trademark ambitions have hit a roadblock, following the earlier dismissal of her original brand name, American Riviera Orchard, for being too general.
"She feels she has been made a laughing stock amongst the California elite because she can't even get a simple trademark over the line without basic errors," one source said. "Now she's threatened to sack her team if they don't get her brand trademarked."
The USPTO outlined several deficiencies in its formal response, highlighting not only the missing signature but also vague product descriptions and classification errors. "SUMMARY OF ISSUES: Declaration Requirement. Classification and Identification of Goods Requirement. Multiple-Class Application Requirements," the office's correspondence read. Additionally, officials instructed Markle's team to clarify descriptions of items like "spoons, serving jams and fruit preserves" and list goods by their international class number - all basic trademark filing procedures.
The agency warned that without corrective action within three months, the application will be considered abandoned.
Markle's legal team, led by attorney Marjorie Witter Norman, has reportedly been told to rectify the errors swiftly. However, frustration appears to be mounting within Markle's camp. One insider claimed, "She's gone nuclear over the situation but she didn't check the paperwork either. It is like nothing is ever her fault."
The latest setback is not Markle's first brush with trademark troubles. The New York Post notes that she made the same mistake - failing to sign - in applications related to her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig, and her Spotify podcast, Archetypes. At the time, Markle's team dismissed the USPTO's pushback as "routine and expected."
The string of bureaucratic stumbles adds to mounting pressure on Markle's broader business ambitions. Her highly anticipated Netflix series With Love, Meghan debuted this month after delays, only to face lukewarm reviews and inevitable comparisons to Pamela Anderson's rival program Pamela's Cooking with Love. Industry observers suggest Markle's brand strategy, which has been openly modeled after Gwyneth Paltrow's $250 million Goop empire, may be faltering under the weight of mismanagement and public scrutiny.
One source bluntly said, "There is no one setting her up, her content is just crap. She is just trying to deflect blame for putting out a poor product."
Complicating matters, Markle is also reportedly facing external legal challenges. Last year, the company Harry & David objected to the original American Riviera Orchard brand name, citing similarities to its "Royal Riviera" product line. Additionally, officials in the Spanish town of Porreres have flagged that the As Ever logo bears a striking resemblance to their historic coat of arms, though financial limitations reportedly prevent them from pursuing legal action.
Despite the swirling setbacks, Markle's team insists the trademark issues are being addressed. Whether that's enough to salvage her nascent lifestyle brand remains to be seen.
