Family-owned cider brand makers, Thatchers Cider, is celebrating after winning in the Court of Appeal in the much-reported trade mark infringement case against supermarket giant Aldi.
Thatchers, represented by Stephens Scown LLP, brought the claim against an Aldi product that appeared on Aldi’s shelves almost two years after Thatchers had gained significant market success with its own Cloudy Lemon Cider.
Following an appeal hearing presided over by Lord Justice Arnold, the Court of Appeal has overturned an earlier ruling by the High Court and held that Aldi took unfair advantage of the Thatcher’s trade mark.
Martin Thatcher, Thatchers’ Managing Director and great-grandson of the founder, William Thatcher, commented on the ruling: “We couldn’t be happier with this decision, which vindicates our position that Aldi had taken unfair advantage of the hard work we put in to our cider and brands. This is a victory not just for our family business, but for all businesses whose innovation is stifled by copycats. We’re thrilled the Court of Appeal got to the core of the issue and cleared up any cloudy judgment.”
Thomas Chartres-Moore, Head of the IP team at Stephens Scown LLP, which has worked with Thatchers for several years to support the protection of the company’s IP portfolio and valuable brand reputation as a quality British cider producer said: “We are very proud to have represented Thatchers in this matter. This appeal win is testament to the passion of our client, the hard work of my team and shows that there is a real value in brands investing in appropriate IP protection to fight off unfair copycat tactics.”
You can read our legal perspective on the case here – Thatchers v Aldi – a legal perspective on the Court of Appeal success for popular British cider brand