Meghan at glitzy launch party

[Twistybrancher]

Meghan in LA this week at some fancy launch party. Think these are her friends who own a high end salon.

The wavy hair has made a return, I’m guessing this is the new look she’s going for, for the rebrand. Jury is out out for that particular style- mid parting, flat waves. Thinks she suits a side part, with full waves. But hey!

Personally I like the paired down eye make up look. I always thought the heavy lashes and dark shadows were a bit much for royal duties (I feel Kates is far too heavy on the smokey eye too!)

But it sure does make her look different. I do think ita just make up and not surgery…but other posters are better at spotting these things.

Harry not there. They are her friends, so no real reason but when it’s a social event, doesn’t look great that they aren’t together….again

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14090659/Meghan-Markle-dances-friends-glamorous-launch-party-Los-Angeles-without-husband-Prince-Harry.html

This is like being privy to a bunch of spiteful teenage girls SM chat slagging off someone at school they are jealous of.

No wonder Meghan left the UK. Good on her.

She looks fantastic. It’s lovely to see her out and supporting a friend.

I’m not sure where the ARO trademark is dead lie comes from. It’s still live and pending on the USPTO site.

This is all nonsense.

So now she is promoting a hair salon 🙄, she really has become the next generation Sarah Ferguson.

It looks like she has been doing 'tweaks' to her face slowly in an effort to conceal the work, but its very obvious she is spending a lot of time at the plastic surgeon's office, which is nothing unusual for LA, especially for women in their 40's. It's so interesting that people worship those generic looks as 'beautiful' when it's nothing more than the work of a surgeon churning out lookalikes and who have the means to pay for it.

Thanks to Harry marrying her, she had one of the most immense USP's that money, beauty or fame could ever have bought, and yet here she is hanging out of random people, showing up at small time launches, somehow always managing to look like a desperado. Between the wigs, the cosmetic surgery and the faux personality, she has turned her public image into that of just another small time LA influencer desperately trying to stay relevant.

It is genuinely not. Just spend some time reading up on it.

Hang on- this thread is... Woman goes out in public without partner and slightly different hair?

Feminism is dead.

I'm an IP lawyer,
I don't need to read up on it to know that trademarks are not the only protection available. I have no idea if this particular brand is unable to register a trademark but being unable to do so does not mean carte blanche for people to create identical get ups.

Have H&M had any successful venture since moving to the US?

Yup. Sure.

But have you on TV to claim that you move together, work together etc ? Unlike other Royals ….
That’s why it’s raising eyebrows.

Threw what all away? Being a royal with all its restrictions on everything from your rights to your nail varnish, while your days mostly revolve around boring events with the great unwashed? “Reduced to partying” is a hilarious take. She’s not in a gutter with a needle in her arm; she’s at a party.

She looks good in a tweakment kind of way. Better than I do at the same age and same-aged DC.

Not sure what you're doubting here. Feel free to read up yourself - start with passing off.

So I think she looks lovely and smiley and she is allowed to socialise without her grumpy husband. However, when they left the RF I suspect that a ‘launch party’ with not a single name I have heard of other than hers (and I live in the US) is not quite the glamorous outing they were hoping for. There are parties galore in Hollywood- the only reason anyone is seeing pictures from this one is because of her.

When I read MN I often think they get a lot more coverage in the UK than the US. They are non entities in the US scene in the grand scheme of things. Even by Hollywood standards of both fame and wealth they are fairly small fry.

I think I have said this before, they lack any USP. Are they into philanthropy? Then there are no big hard hitting ventures that anyone in the US, their target audience knows about. Is the aim to be another influencer (so hair care, ARO?). At one point they were going to be the Obamas and the Clintons but those people have intellectual depth (even if you disagree with them) and don’t do merchandising. She could have gone down the Paltrow route (and I suspect that’s the next goal) but simply doesn’t have the star power.

She really can't win. Criticised for her looks, her work, being tied to Harry, going out separately. Trying to integrate herself with the RF, leaving the RF.

I don't like the way either have behaved. I think she's manipulated him. And I think he's a weak selfish idiot. They've attacked the RF and been unable to acknowledge how privileged they are.

But God, the poor woman makes mistakes and everyone jumps with glee.

FWIW I think she looks a heck of a lot like Pippa in these photos.

Ok enlighten us on why not having a trademark and being able to protect your brand is no issue then. Cmon. Announcing you’re an ip lawyer and it’s all ok without explaining why it is ok is the issue.

so tell us all about why having no ip for the brand is fine.

And I think that maybe partying with her mates in Hollywood, and the occasional small philanthropic gesture, plus being parents to young kids and Harry’s inherited wealth would be all that makes them happy. Living out the life of the wealthy has been in California. It well could. But from the occasionally grandiose gestures (faux royal tours, the weird ARO launch with the mystery jars and calligraphy), you get the sense that they are hoping to break into a circle that is now quite firmly shut for them.

In the 4/5 years since they left the RF the only thing ordinary Americans will remember them for are to do with the RF- that Netflix show and Spare.

The world was their oyster

They royally fucked it

For all eternity

There is never any coming back from it all

Royally fucked it lol

Because she went to support the launch of a friend’s brand 🥴

Thank you. The trademark application is still live with a non-final action pending.

Not having a trademark is not "no issue" but it doesn't mean (as I said in my post) that this means anyone could use their get ups to sell goods. If someone did (using your example) sell jams with the ARO name and logos they would be very likely liable for the tort of passing off. This is (put simply) pretending to be associated with a brand when you are not connected.

This is why you can't sell t shirts with Rhianna on them (as Top Shop found out) even though Rhianna is not able to trademark her own face.

@ThatCoralShark please can you show me where the trademark has been declined? I’ve just checked on the US trademark search page and it’s still live and pending. I’m genuinely confused.

If anyone else can chime in, that would be great. Thank you.

Ah but did you realise a documentary about your love as a couple and state that you move together like salt and pepper and are always together?

Thought not

Yet despite that horrible , restrictive life where she had to attend events “ with the great unwashed “ ( nice !) she still clings on to a title bestowed by a racist family and insists her DC are Prince/ Princess.

Yes, but then explain Etsy.

Passing off requires more than just a similar name, it also needs to look like the product and be similar to the type of product sold.Its requires the customer to think that they buying the actual product, not the rip off.

This means you must have staff whose job it is to hunt for these products, to then be sent a legal letter. That’s expensive, and unless the product is competing directly with your product and affecting your profits, most don’t take this route.

The truth is, it isnt worth it in most cases. Hence why you can get ‘Disney’ merch on Etsy. Who also have TM. It’s not pursued because people are aware that they aren’t Disney products and it isn’t worth it for Disney to make a claim in tort/delict. It would also give them bad press to go after mums who have a side hustle

So arguably products could be sold using the name ARO, it’s about how likely Meghan would be to pursue.

Sure but as you allude to that all applies to trademarked goods too. Believe me I know it's difficult it is to pursue IP infringement - that's a large part of my job! The post I was responding to was saying that in the absence of a trademark anyone could use their brand to sell things. That's nonsense.

Disney go after Etsy knock offs all the time by the way!