Mondelez, Parent Company Of Nabisco Products, Sues Aldi For Trademark Infringement

[RAMROD 117,103]

 

Snack food maker Mondelez International is suing the Aldi supermarket chain, alleging the packaging for Aldi's store-brand cookies and crackers “blatantly copies” Mondelez products like Chips Ahoy, Wheat Thins and Oreos.

In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Illinois, Chicago-based Mondelez said Aldi’s packaging was “likely to deceive and confuse customers” and threatened to irreparably harm Mondelez and its brands. The company is seeking monetary damages and a court order that would stop Aldi from selling products that infringe on its trademarks.

In the lawsuit, Mondelez displayed side-by-side photos of multiple products. Aldi’s Thin Wheat crackers, for example, come in a gold box very similar to Mondelez's Wheat Thins. Aldi’s chocolate sandwich cookies and Oreos both have blue packaging. The supermarket's Golden Round crackers and Mondelez’s Ritz crackers are packaged in red boxes.

Mondelez said in its lawsuit that the company had contacted Aldi on numerous occasions about “confusingly similar packaging.” Mondelez said Aldi discontinued or changed the packaging on some items but continued to sell others.

The lawsuit also alleges that Aldi infringed on Mondalez's trade dress rights for the packaging of Nutter Butter and Nilla Wafers cookies, and its Premium cracker brand.

Aldi, a German discount chain with U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Illinois, keeps prices low by primarily selling products under its own labels.

The chain has faced lawsuits over its packaging before.

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/oreo-maker-mondelez-sues-aldi-alleging-grocery-chain-122343636

[SpadesToStart 3,808]

Looking at the photos, the lawsuit has merit. Aldi basically hit copy-paste lol

[DopeEnigma 1,782]

To be fair, maybe these companies shouldn’t charge ridiculous prices, they may have copied the look to a point but at least it’s not a rip off at Aldi’s. They’re all usually made in the same factories anyway, it’s all a scam by the ‘leading brands’. It surprises me how, even in tough economic times, people are so willing to be ripped off. 

[LG2008 6,309]

I mean, I see the clear similarities but no one buys Aldi's products confusing them by 'actual' Oreos or the other ones 

I've seen these kinds of similarities in many countries 

[River 127,526]

I love Aldi and I always check who produces the products and it's always a big brand.

For example, here they have ice creams called Grandessa and it's produced by Sammontana, yes it doesn't look like perfect like the real one, but it's the same exact taste with the same amount of ingredients but the price is at least 30% less than the branded one.

[Bronco 25,131]

This is just a major attack on working class consumers during a major global cost of living crisis in western nations. 

Everyone who goes to stores like Aldi know the products are not branded and that's exactly why they go. Off label cheaper produce.

[PartySick 172,545]

The whole point of those store brand products is "just as good as the name brand but half the price" who do they think they're kidding lmao

[Hydrangea 7,899]

Oh cos I’m sure the global conglomerate orphan crushing machine mondelez really needs that money right now. Won’t someone please think of the copyright!?!

[Ziggy 14,051]

Lmao “irreparable harm” please.

 

let me say this. Aldi shoppers aren’t dumb, they’re savvy. If they’re not buying your product it’s bc they found a deal not bc the package confused them. People who buy these in the regular know small differences like the LOGO so no it doesn’t cause harm lmao. They are close packaging, I’ll agree on that. But it’s not harming a fly. Every broke girl going to aldi knows a generic vs name brand 

[Ziggy 14,051]

19 minutes ago, Bronco said:

This is just a major attack on working class consumers during a major global cost of living crisis in western nations. 

Everyone who goes to stores like Aldi know the products are not branded and that's exactly why they go. Off label cheaper produce.

Exactly. If this gets anywhere it’ll do real damage to the generic brand economy imo. Consumers are absolutely not being duped bc they know the penny differences between products. It’s mondelez being **** and ugly again