A London case lists a Mondelēz subsidiary as claimant in a dispute over a British company’s vegan chocolate bar; The Guardian reported that it concerns Toblerone’s trademark rights. A public case index names Kraft Foods Schweiz Holding GmbH and Catherine’s Originals Ltd as the parties and records the case as open, filed Oct. 15 in the category “Passing off and trade marks.”
Mondelēz International’s SEC-filed subsidiary list includes Kraft Foods Schweiz Holding GmbH. The company identifies Toblerone as one of its brands.
According to The Guardian, Mondelēz alleges O’bar’s segmented design infringes Toblerone’s trademark rights and amounts to passing off. The newspaper described the bar’s sections as rounded, semi-oval humps.
Catherine Dodd, founder of Catherine’s Originals, told The Guardian the company disputes the claim and is working with its legal team to defend its position. “We stand firmly behind the product and identity we’ve created,” she said. Mondelēz told the newspaper it had tried for several months to settle the disagreement directly but could not reach an agreement. The company said it had “a responsibility to protect our trademarks and intellectual property.” The Guardian reported that Mondelēz declined to comment further on the ongoing case. It also said Dodd described the legal claim as frightening for a small business.
Catherine’s Originals describes O’bar as a 200-gram plant-based bar sold in milk or white chocolate, with almond and honeycomb filling. Its history says Dodd began planning the business in December 2020, when she was 18, and that the company was established April 8, 2021.
The dispute follows an earlier challenge involving Toblerone-style chocolate. The Grocer reported that Poundland delayed its Twin Peaks launch after Mondelēz issued a legal warning in 2017. The outlet also reported that the deal let Poundland sell already-made bars in packaging that set them apart, then bring Twin Peaks back with a different profile.
