US food giant Kraft has launched a legal battle to defend its famous Oreo cookie, alleging that Britannia’s Taste-O is an infringement of copyright and trademark laws.
The Oreo creme-filled sandwich cookie was invented in 1912 and has become an American icon around the world with over a billion dollars worth of sales annually in countries. But Kraft has been angered by the arrival in Indian shops of the Taste-O, a biscuit the company said has the same shape and packaging as the original Oreo.
The US food giant filed the suit at the Delhi High Court. “The court has issued a notice against Britannia,” said Ransom D’Souza, a Kraft spokesman. “A judge will now hear both sides, but no date has yet been set.”
D’Souza said Taste-O had the same colour and font on its wrapping as the Oreo as well as the same marks on the biscuit. Bitannia executives were unavailable for comment.