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Meghan Markle just can’t catch a break when it comes to trademarks.
On Tuesday, we reported that Meghan had renamed her lifestyle brand — which had previously been known as American Riviera Orchard — after running into copyright difficulties.
Turns out it’s not easy to trademark geographical place names, and ARO has become something of an official nickname for Santa Barbara.
So Meghan selected a new name that seemed pretty safe:
Meghan’s New Brand
The Duchess settled on “As Ever,” an easy-to-remember name that has the added benefit of tying in with her recent return to Instagram.
(Meghan generally signs off on her posts with “As Ever, Meghan.”)
Alas, it seems that Meghan’s long-awaited launch has run into another SNAFU thanks to — you guessed it! — a potential trademarking concern.
Was the ‘As Ever’ Name Already Taken?
Just hours after Meghan announced her relaunch on Instagram, social media users noticed that a New York City-based clothing company uses the exact same name.
The company’s owner, Mark Kolski, responded to the uproar on Tuesday.
“Wow and Hello,” he wrote on Instagram. “I want to say thank you to all the old friends who know and love our small family brand As Ever, and also say hi to all those that have just become aware we exist.”
In a conversation with UK tabloid The Sun, Kolski revealed that he’s currently “exploring all possibilities” with regard to the matter.
“I’m a very small business, it’s a family-run operation. I’m essentially a one-man band,” he told the outlet.
“This new venture has the power and money of Netflix behind it. Even if I wanted to do something I don’t think I have the behemoth of lawyers and money that are behind this.”
Kolski is referring to Meghan’s deal with Netflix, including her upcoming lifestyle series, which is expected to serve as a tie-in to her brand.
In all likelihood, Meghan will be able to reach some sort of settlement with Kolski. But her trademark troubles don’t end there.
According to a new report from Page Six, a politician in Spain is “considering legal action” against Meghan.
Xisca Mora, mayor of the Mallorcan town of Porreres, believes that the logo for As Ever is a rip-off of the Porreres coat of arms.
Both logos feature a palm tree flanked by two birds, and a judge might rule that the original image is not specific enough to copyright.
Either way, the situation is likely to develop into another legal headache for Meghan and her fledgling brand.