Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's brand, American Orchard Riviera hits another snag

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's brand, American Orchard Riviera, has hit another bump in the road on the way to its launch.

Several days ago, Meghan's imminent lifestyle brand launch was denied the opportunity to trademark the name, American Orchard Riviera, by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), because brands aren't allowed to trademark geographic locations.

Now she's hit another hurdle. The USPTO is also questioning the brand's intricate logo, saying the letter "O" on the logo isn't recognisable enough.

In a "non-final" document obtained by the Daily Mail, the USPTO writes that the "applicant must submit an amended description of the mark that agrees with the mark on the drawing," explaining, "the current description is inconsistent with the mark on the drawing and is thus inaccurate. Descriptions must be accurate and identify only those literal and design elements appearing in the mark."

It added, "In particular, the current mark description indicates that the letter 'O' appears in the mark. However, the letter is now clearly visible or highly stylised that it is unrecognisable as a letter. Furthermore, the description is incomplete because it does not describe all the elements in the mark."

The document also states that the description of the items that Meghan wants to sell under the label is "too broad," adding that items such as "yoga blankets, meditation blankets" should state "gift wrap of fabric or textile."

Meghan sent out 50 jars of strawberry jam to celebrities in March this year to launch American Riviera Orchard. However, there has been no news or products from the brand since.