Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been dealt a fresh blow just days after Spotify parted ways with the exiled royals over Markle’s “Archetypes” podcast.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s filing to trademark the podcast title has been rejected by the US Patent and Trademark Office, The Mirror reports.
The royals aimed to get exclusive use of “Archetypes” for “downloadable audio recordings and podcasts” and anything related to the “cultural treatment of women and stereotypes facing women.”
But their application was turned down because of the “likelihood of confusion” with an existing brand of the same name.
The Arizona-based company, Archetypes LLC, applied for exclusive use in 2015 for books and articles about “nutrition, fitness, sexuality, and psychological self-improvement.”
The royals’ lawyer, Marjorie Witter Norman of LA firm Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, has appealed the decision, applying for an extra three months to prepare another application.
The trademark rejection comes in the wake of Spotify and the royals announcing they would part ways, revealing the podcast that premiered in August 2022 will not be renewed for Season 2.
In a joint statement to The Post, Spotify and the royals’ Archewell Audio said they have “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”
“Archetypes,” which explored the labels that hold women back, was the only project the couple produced for Spotify during their two-and-a-half-year partnership. They signed a $20 million-plus deal between their Archewell Audio and the streaming giant in 2020.
There were just 12 episodes of “Archetypes,” which featured guests like Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling, and Paris Hilton.
The Duchess of Sussex put the podcast on pause in September during the official mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II.
Trevor Noah, Andy Cohen, and Judd Apatow appeared in the final “Archetypes” episode, “Man-ifesting A Cultural Shift,” which dropped on Nov. 29.
Spotify announced this month it will cut 200 jobs as it reimagines its approach to podcasting.
