Business1 min read

Snowball fight: Cadbury owner in trademark row over festive chocolate treat

By · Via The Guardian Business · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Mondelēz International sent a formal warning letter to small producer Moo Free, claiming its White Choccy Snowballs infringe on exclusive confectionery trademarks established in 2001. Moo Free has disputed the infringement assertion, noting that it has already sold the dairy-free treat for two years and questioning whether a generic word can be strictly protected. Although Mondelēz indicated it has not yet launched formal legal proceedings and hopes for an amicable resolution, the dispute mirrors its recent packaging action against fellow vegan brand Catherine's Originals.

Key points

  • Global confectionery giant Mondelēz is actively enforcing historical trademark rights aga…: Global confectionery giant Mondelēz is actively enforcing historical trademark rights against small independent chocolate brands.
  • Moo Free rejects the infringement claims and questions the validity of monopolizing commo…: Moo Free rejects the infringement claims and questions the validity of monopolizing common seasonal terminology.
  • Mondelēz maintains that formal litigation has not commenced while seeking an amicable agr…: Mondelēz maintains that formal litigation has not commenced while seeking an amicable agreement with the alternative chocolate producer.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The owner of Cadbury and Toblerone has demanded that a small vegan chocolate brand remove its products from shelves in a trademark dispute over the use of the word snowball.

Mondelēz International has written a legal letter to Moo Free accusing it of trademark infringement by selling its White Choccy Snowballs – gluten-free biscuit-flavoured rice balls covered in dairy-free white chocolate.

Cadbury Snowballs first launched in the UK in 1966, and have been sold in their current form as packs of Mini Snow Balls since 2023. The brand registered use of the word Snowball and Snowballs for use in chocolate confectionery as a trademark in 2001. Its Mini Snow Balls are made from Dairy Milk chocolate covered in a crispy shell of white icing sugar.

The legal fight has emerged just days after Mondelēz launched legal action against another small vegan chocolate brand, Catherine’s Originals, accusing it of copying the famous chunky shape of Toblerone with its O’bar.

Moo Free, which has products stocked in several major supermarkets and online, said it had been selling its Snowballs for about two…

Business