Consumer Goods

Kraft has agreed to pay Bega $9.25 million as part of a settlement resolving a long-running battle over peanut butter trade dress rights, after the US consumer goods giant exhausted all its options for appealing a ruling that found Bega had acquired the rights to the trade dress.

An appeals court has upheld a ruling which bars use of the RestQ trade mark on sleep products sold by Martin & Pleasance because of a “disturbing” number of similarities with the marketing and appearance of an established competitor’s Rescue natural sleep aid product.

Arnott’s and Campbells have settled a lawsuit brought by Goodman Fielder accusing them of infringing its ‘Plantry’ mark under which it sells plant-based frozen meals, after the cookie company filed a cross-claim seeking to have the mark cancelled.

Reckitt Benckiser has resolved its lawsuit against US consumer goods giant SC Johnson over allegedly misleading ads touting its “can’t miss” Raid Max insecticide, just months after a judge criticised Reckitt’s “excessively literal and strained” reading of the ads.

The Rolling Stones has successfully opposed registration of the ‘Jagger & Stone’ clothing trade mark in Australia, with a delegate finding the name was designed to “springboard” off the UK rock band’s worldwide fame.

Cosmetics giant L’Oreal has lost its opposition to Melbourne-based Lore Perfumery’s ‘Lore’ trade mark, with an IP Australia delegate finding that L’Oreal’s strong reputation made it unlikely that consumers would be deceived or confused.

PZ Cussons has lost its bid for indemnity costs against the ACCC, with a judge saying the consumer watchdog’s case over an alleged laundry detergent cartel was “significantly wanting” but not hopeless or doomed to fail.

A vegan, cruelty-free makeup company whose products are promoted by comedian Celeste Barber has been taken to court by a US company for allegedly selling a cheaper copycat version of its $42 concealer.

A judge has issued an injunction temporarily barring use of the RestQ trade mark on sleep products sold by Martin & Pleasance because of a “disturbing” number of similarities with the marketing and appearance of an established competitor’s Rescue natural sleep aid product.

Law firm Sparke Helmore has been accused of failing to heed concerns from client Nick Scali about “escalating legal costs” in an intellectual property lawsuit, leaving the furniture retailer with “no choice” but to switch law firms.