Saturday, January 24, 2015
Chocolate wars
America, the supposed land of capitalism and freedom, is once more proving that its image is pure window dressing as the US chocolate giant Hershey has used the courts to block the import of its British rivals.
The Telegraph reports that the company declared legal war on the imports of British-made chocolate such as Cadbury Creme Eggs, Maltesers, Kit Kats and Yorkie bars, claiming that they either infringe the company's US licences or "confuse" customers with similar wrappings and names:
Nicky Perry, the owner of Tea and Sympathy, a Manhattan institution, broke the devastating news to customers in a posting on the cafe's Facebook page.
"Due to legal action by the so called chocolate maker Hershey's, we can no longer import the real Cadbury chocolate from England," she wrote. "They want us to sell their dreadful Cadbury approximation but we can't in good conscience sell you such awful chocolate when we have made our reputation on selling you the yummy real English stuff."
Ms Perry was also scornful that the lawsuit has blocked Yorkie bars because their name might be confused with the totally different York Peppermint Patties – "as if!" she noted – and Toffee Crisp as the orange wrapping was too similar to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
"May we politely suggest that if you think Toffee Crisps look like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups your eyesight is a much bigger problem than your chocolate bar confusion," she added.
The company says that the lawsuit was necessary to defend its commercial interests though it transpires that their legal action only came about after they failed to take-over Cadbury's, losing out to Kraft. No wonder ex-pats in the USA are outraged.
The Telegraph reports that the company declared legal war on the imports of British-made chocolate such as Cadbury Creme Eggs, Maltesers, Kit Kats and Yorkie bars, claiming that they either infringe the company's US licences or "confuse" customers with similar wrappings and names:
Nicky Perry, the owner of Tea and Sympathy, a Manhattan institution, broke the devastating news to customers in a posting on the cafe's Facebook page.
"Due to legal action by the so called chocolate maker Hershey's, we can no longer import the real Cadbury chocolate from England," she wrote. "They want us to sell their dreadful Cadbury approximation but we can't in good conscience sell you such awful chocolate when we have made our reputation on selling you the yummy real English stuff."
Ms Perry was also scornful that the lawsuit has blocked Yorkie bars because their name might be confused with the totally different York Peppermint Patties – "as if!" she noted – and Toffee Crisp as the orange wrapping was too similar to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
"May we politely suggest that if you think Toffee Crisps look like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups your eyesight is a much bigger problem than your chocolate bar confusion," she added.
The company says that the lawsuit was necessary to defend its commercial interests though it transpires that their legal action only came about after they failed to take-over Cadbury's, losing out to Kraft. No wonder ex-pats in the USA are outraged.
