Lindt savoured a victory over Haribo Wednesday in a long-running legal battle after a German federal court ruled that the chocolate teddy bears made by the Swiss giant were not a copy of the German sweets maker’s gummy bears.
“Lindt’s sale of bear-shaped chocolates wrapped in a golden foil with a red ribbon is neither a violation of Haribo’s ’Gold Bear’ trademark nor an illegal imitation of the fruit gum products,” the court ruled.
The German candy manufacturer had taken Lindt & Spruengli to court in 2012 after the Swiss chocolatier began selling their “Lindt Teddy” figurines in 2011 for the Christmas season.
Haribo claimed that the gold-foil packed Lindt teddies were an imitation of the gold colour bear illustration -- which also features a red ribbon around its neck - on its jelly bear packaging.
READ MORE: Visionary found sweet success with a little bear
The Swiss company argued however that the teddy bear figurines were inspired by its best-selling “Gold Bunny” chocolates, which are also wrapped in a golden foil and decorated with a red ribbon and a little bell.