So Harry & David are under the impression that they own the word “Riviera”?
2 Likes
If anyone has cashed in on a family name while having no discernible accomplishments, it’s Meghan “my father” McCain.
4 Likes
No, trademarks identify the source of goods, not goods themselves. So the fight is about whether a consumer purchasing the goods would be confused about their source. Not a trademark attorney so can’t provide analysis of whether HD or MM would likely prevail in this case.
2 Likes
This article describes what is happening with MM’s application.
HD simply made a submission that a consumer could confuse the two trademarks, and the Office decided that it needs to be considered during examination. So that’s where the “protest” stands, apparently. Also, the Examiner deemed “American Riviera” too vague, so the attorney handling the application needs to address these issues. Not all is lost, but IMO, HD has a valid point. Royal Riviera pears come from an orchard after all, and Meghan is royalty - of sorts. 
1 Like
Not a huge Meghan McCaine fan myself, but in this instance I agree that if Meghan Markle’s show and products are excessively exclusive, I think that will be a big ding on Meghan Markle’s popularity.
Meghan Markle (or her people) has said she wants to be the next Martha Stewart. Back in Martha Stewart’s original heyday, Martha showed people how to DYI items to create a timeless luxury for themselves. I remember one of my cousins, who was on an extremely tight budget, was a huge Martha fan and had a beautifully decorated apartment using materials found in nature or upworked Goodwill material etc., all per Martha’s suggestions. I could well imagine my cousin serving tea and scones with exquisite jam, in a vintage tea set from Goodwill and the jam made by her following Martha’s exacting instructions. I could never imagine my cousin spending hundreds of dollars purchasing a jar of jam.
So, I think it will be very interesting what route Meghan Markle chooses to take with her show and her products. Showing people how to attain a slice of luxury for themselves is very appealing to me. Seeing a bunch of wealthy people using expensive items isn’t appealing to me. Let’s see what she does.
7 Likes
I understand Meghan wants to keep busy and lead a productive life. I may be in the minority, but I think what she doesn’t understand yet is that no one is interested in her alone, or her endeavors, outside Harry.
16 Likes
That’s basically how I feel too. I do wonder about Prince Harry and his popularity too, especially in the US. The couple’s Netflix show Polo from last year was not a hit.
Perhaps her new show will be a success, time will tell. It does seem like there are plenty of people who follow all things British royalty, so who knows? I hope her team has done a lot of market research of her strengths and weaknesses and been realistic about interpreting what those are, created a show that focuses on said strengths, and tested several episodes of the new show with their key demographic groups. Besides royal watchers, maybe that group includes women with young families? Again, not sure.
I expect Netflix would like a return on the $100M investment that they made with Archewell/Harry/Meghan in 2020.
It’s sort of the same with Harry for me, too, outside the gossip I read about him and the royal family. I don’t really care what he does here in the states. I find the British royal family popcorn worthy to watch over there in London doing their “thing”. It’s like reality TV.
2 Likes
I feel like there are some similarities to when the Beckhams moved to LA for career purposes (him for soccer, her right around the time she was starting her fashion line), and that didn’t really work out, at least at the level of their popularity in the UK. (I’m casting no shade at Posh and Becks!)
2 Likes
There was an hysterical piece by Will Geist on CBS Sunday Morning years ago about making a Christmas wreath from thing found in your yard. In Will’s yard, he found a tennis ball (pre-chewed by the dog), some bones, some plastic toys, some dried weeds. IIRC, it all came together when you spray painted it all gold and put a bow on it.
Not all backyards are Martha back yards.
6 Likes
It’s good they’re doing something…though I don’t doubt their detractors will find ways to criticize their efforts. Any assistance under these tragic circumstances should be encouraged.
8 Likes
Really? I read today that he is taking on Rupert Murdoch in court, something few others have had the courage to do. Considering all the damage the Murdoch empire has inflicted on the world, and particularly on the United States, which welcomed him years ago as an immigrant, I’m impressed that Harry has had the persistence and the courage to insist on bringing the evidence against them to court instead of settling like all the other litigants. I hope he wins but even if he doesn’t he’ll have done more to uncover the despicable tactics employed by that evil empire than anyone else.
The trial will take place in the UK, but I hope the repercussions are felt here in the US. So, I guess I care a good bit about what Harry’s doing.
6 Likes
I had thought when she was acting she also had a lifestyle blog that was gaining some traction. If she is trying to go back to that, I applaud her because they have to make money somehow and I like that she is standing on her own 2 feet rather than trying to trade in on her husband’s title. For me, it’s about how she does it.
On a somewhat different note, I saw an article the other day hyping that they released a “rare photo” of them with their kids. These photos really irk me. They only ever show their kids backs. I get that they want to protect their kids, but then don’t show any photos of them at all. This just fits in with the narrative of them saying “ look at me!” while at the same time saying “we want our privacy “. This just feels so fake or weird and is distasteful to me.
4 Likes
I don’t know what you saw or where, but a lot of those kinds of articles are fake. Facebook and other social media platforms are full of fake articles that use photos stolen from other places on the Internet and altered.
3 Likes
Yes, really. Hope he wins, but I won’t follow his story. Just like you had to point this out to me.
Agree, those half pics are so annoying.
1 Like
It’s part of people magazine, so not the highest caliber reporting, but also not one that would want to be sued for false AI pictures.
It’s nice to see them trying to help.
As for the photos with the kids but not showing their faces, I understand being curious and therefore feeling a bit frustrated. However I feel Harry and Meghan can’t win regardless of their choice. To not show the children at all would feed into those narratives from people who say they don’t exist and other wild assertions. To show a proper photo that includes the kids’ faces would cause detractors to scream that Harry and Meghan are hypocrites and jeopardizing their safety for financial gain. At some point the public will see their faces because they’ll reach an age where their activities will put them out in public spaces. Until then I believe they’ll do what they think is best…just as all parents hopefully do.
3 Likes
Apparently, Rachel alerted the press that they would be there. They brought a camera crew with them as well as security ( 
) and were there for 17 minutes. Seems disingenuous to me.
3 Likes
Yesterday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a surprise visit to Pasadena to support those who’ve been impacted by the recent L.A. fire.
A surprise to everyone except the paps they tipped off.
6 Likes