Snack-gasting Mondelez International continues the Aldi supermarket chainalleging that the packaging for cookies and crackers of the Aldi brand “obviously copies” the world -style products like chips Ahoy, wheat and wheat and wheat Oreos.
In a federal trial filed Tuesday in Illinois, Mondelez in Chicago said that Aldi’s packaging was “likely to deceive and confuse customers” and threatened to harm Mondelez and its marks. Business Request for monetary damages and a court order which would prevent Aldi from selling products that harm its marks.
Aldi did not respond to messages asking for comments. The American branch of Aldi, based in Batavia, Illinois, was appointed in the trial.
In the trial, Mondelez posted photos side by side by several products. Aldi’s thin wheat crackers, for example, are available in a gold box very similar to Mondelez wheat sieve. Aldi chocolate sandwich cookies and the Oreos both have blue packaging. The golden round crackers of the supermarket and the ritz crackers in the worldlez are packed in red boxes.
Aldi, which was founded in Germany, maintains low prices by selling products mainly under its own labels. It is one of the fastest growth grocery chains in the United States, with more than 2,500 stores in 39 states. Friday, the company announced that its current operations chief, Atty McGrath, would become American CEO of Aldi on September 1.
The chain has already faced prosecution on its packaging. Last year, an Australian court found that Aldi had violated the copyright of Baby Bellies Puffs for young children. In this case, the Aldi packaging included a cartoon chouet and colors similar to the brand packaging.
Earlier this year, a British court of appeal ruled in favor of thatchers, a cider company, which continued Aldi on design similarities in the packaging of its lemon cider.
Mondelez said in his trial that the company had contacted Aldi many times on “similar confused packaging”. Mondelez said Aldi had abandoned or changed the packaging on certain items but continued to sell others.
The trial also alleges that Aldi has broken the Mondalez commercial outfit for the packaging of Nutter Butter and Nilla Wafers cookies, and its high -end cracker brand.
