A Swiss court has told Lidl to stop selling its copycat bunnies – a move which will likely have further implications for supermarkets.
Swiss chocolate maker Lindt is keen to protect one of its most famous creations: the chocolate bunny, which is among its top-selling products in Europe. But supermarket chains like Lidl have been trying to get a slice of the cake by selling lookalike bunnies, with similar copycat products at the centre of many court cases.
The latest ruling will change the fate of the Lidl bunnies and other copycats, with the highest court in Switzerland ordering the German discounter to stop selling its chocolate bunnies in Switzerland. The court said in a statement: “Due to their overall impression, the Lidl bunnies trigger obvious associations with the shape of the Lindt bunny; in the public’s memory, they cannot be distinguished from each other.”
The bunnies will have to be destroyed – meaning that the chocolate will be melted down and used for other products. This ruling might affect other supermarket chains as it is expected that courts in other countries may follow the Swiss ruling. Supermarkets in the UK are known to make copycats of well-known products, and they may soon find the courts stepping in to rule on whether their replicas are legal.
