Mondelez International, a corporate giant behind the name-brand versions of many snacks, contends that Aldi is mimicking its packaging to dupe customers.
Wheat Thins or Thin Wheat? Nutter Butters or Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cookies? Nilla Wafers or Vanilla Wafers?
They may sound the same, look similar and, to some, even taste the same.
And that’s exactly the issue for Mondelez International, a corporate giant behind the name-brand versions of many snacks.
Mondelez, which is based in Chicago, filed a lawsuit last month in a federal court in Illinois against the U.S. branch of the German supermarket chain Aldi, which has its U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Ill., over what it says is Aldi’s look-alike product packaging.
The suit says that Aldi “blatantly copies” Mondelez signature snacks in a way that is “likely to deceive and confuse customers.”
The lawsuit also claims that some of Aldi’s packaging threatens to “dilute the distinctive quality of Mondelez’s unique product packaging” and “irreparably harm Mondelez and its valuable brands.”
Mondelez is seeking monetary damages and a court order preventing Aldi from selling products that Mondelez claims infringe on its trademarks.