Meghan Markle suffers a ban that puts a dent in one of her most ambitious projects

Meghan Markle faces more pushback against her As Ever rebrand as news breaks the Duchess of Sussex is banned from selling clothing under the title due to an already-existing Chinese fashion label in the latest setback for the former actress.

Although the mother-of-three has previously been focusing on lines such as jam, this unexpected setback disrupts Meghan's plans to expand her influence in the lifestyle and fashion industry and limits her overall range.

That's despite Meghan's legal team filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seeking approval to sell a variety of products ack in October 2022, including aprons, jams, and dog biscuits--under the 'As Ever' brand.

However, the USPTO issued a 'partial rejection' in July 2023, stating that the brand's name was too similar to ASEVER, a Shenzhen-based fast fashion company that supplies retailers such as H&M, thus they had to drop their clothing ambitions.

"The marks are identical in sound and virtually identical in appearance," the USPTO said in their rejection statement. "And are thus confusingly similar for the purposes of determining likelihood of confusion."

Then in January 2024, Meghan's legal team resubmitted the application and omitted any mention of clothing; and this revision allowed the trademark to be approved, but a Los Angeles-based trademark attorney warned she could be sued if she sells clothes.

Additional controversies emerge: Another As Ever exists

The Chinese drama with the As Ever name is the latest dispute regarding the 43-year-old's rebranding of American Riviera.

Mark Kolski, a New York entrepreneur who has operated a vintage clothing business under the same name since 2015, voiced concerns about the sudden use of his brand's identity, although he never filed a trademark.

Meanwhile, officials from Porreres, a village in Mallorca, have accused Meghan of copying their centuries-old coat of arms.

The As Ever logo, featuring a palm tree with two hummingbirds, bears a striking resemblance to the town's emblem, which has depicted a similar design since 1370. The village's leadership is now considering legal action.