Meghan Markle’s new As Ever brand has effectively been banned from selling clothing because the name is too similar to a Chinese fast-fashion company of the same name.
In documents obtained by The Post, the Duchess of Sussex’s legal team applied for permission at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to sell aprons and other items under the new name in October 2022.
But the “Suits” alum, 43, received a “partial rejection” in July 2023, which stated that she could not sell clothing because the name of her brand was too similar to the Chinese company ASEVER.
ASEVER is based in Shenzhen, China, and supplies to popular clothing companies like H&M.
“The marks are identical in sound and virtually identical in appearance and are thus confusingly similar for the purposes of determining likelihood of confusion,” the rejection document read.
Last January, the former working royal amended her trademark application to remove all mentions of clothing. The revised forms were ultimately approved by the USPTO.
“The Duchess of Sussex’s brand, As Ever, is a lifestyle brand and will not be making clothing,” a source previously told The Post.
And while Markle isn’t banned from selling clothing altogether, she must file for a different brand name if she wants to have clothes be part of her company’s inventory.
The Post has reached out to Markle’s reps for comment.
Still, Markle is apparently not letting the hiccup affect her upcoming product rollout as she teased what can be expected to go up for sale when As Ever finally launches.
Last week, the former actress took to social media to show off her artsy side to her 2 million Instagram followers.
“From memory lane to the memories I’m making today…,” Markle captioned her Instagram post, which featured a photo of her vision board, which she likely made for 2025.
In the top left of her board, she has a piece of paper with her signature calligraphy written in black ink on it that reads, “Farm fresh eggs, carrots two ways, sweet treats.”
A piece of fabric resembling a handkerchief is pinned nearby and features the As Ever logo on it — which has recently become the subject of much controversy.
Also featured on Markle’s mood board are several bits and pieces from her soon-to-be-launched lifestyle brand, such as jam labels — which could be her hinting at the company’s initial product rollout.
Last week, Markle revealed that she changed the name of her lifestyle brand from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever following a slew of trademark woes that kept delaying the launch.
In September 2024, Markle’s application for American Riviera Orchard was 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.
Come November 2024, Markle’s team asked the USPTO for a three-month extension to launch the American Riviera Orchard brand.
While it’s unclear exactly when As Ever products are expected to hit shelves, Markle did reveal that her rollout will coincide with the release of her Netflix show, “With Love, Meghan,” slated for March 4.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
