Meghan Markle’s Brand Name Controversy
Meghan Markle won’t be able to sell her clothing under her new “As Ever” brand after it was revealed that a Chinese fashion firm had already been using the name, according to the Daily Mail.
Trademark Application Issues
A New York-based fashion designer had previously raised the alarm after the Duchess unveiled the new name, insisting that he won’t change his name and is “exploring all possibilities.” The Mail revealed documents filed at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October 2022 by Ms. Markle’s lawyers applied for permission to sell aprons and other items of clothing, jams, and dog biscuits under the “As Ever” name.
However, according to the article, USPTO issued a 145-page “partial rejection” of the trademark application in July 2023, stating she could not sell clothing under that name because her company’s name was too similar to the Chinese fast fashion brand “ASEVER.” That China-based clothing company supplies to stores such as H&M. Knowing such, USPTO said: “The marks are identical in sound and virtually identical in appearance and are thus confusingly similar for the purposes of determining likelihood of confusion.”
