Singapore's food-maker wins chocolate bar dispute with Nestle - Business Times
29/11/2014 06:01
SINGAPORE, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Singapore's High Court has
ruled in favour of a local food- maker that Nestle SA said
infringed its intellectual property rights over a chocolate
wafer product, a Singapore newspaper reported on Saturday,
citing the judgment.
The Business Times said Swiss food giant NESN.VX filed a
suit in 2012 claiming that "Take It" - a series of
rectangular-shaped wafer products made by Petra Foods Ltd.
PEFO.SI - infringed on Nestle's trademark rights and
copyrights.
According to the newspaper, Justice Chan Seng Onn on Friday
said such claims failed, and ruled in favour of Petra's
counterclaim to invalidate Nestle's trade mark registrations for
the shapes of Kit Kat bars. (http://bit.ly/1B14RVK)
"Imitation is no less a valid business strategy than
innovation. There is nothing unconscionable about competition.
Even if the defendants did copy, it is not wrong unless such
copying impinges the plaintiffs legal rights," Chan said in the
ruling, according to Business Times.
Singapore-listed Petra Foods produces and sells chocolate
products mainly for the Southeast Asia market. As of Friday, its
market capitalisation was S$2.33 billion ($1.79 billion).
Petra's brands include Delfi, Goya, Knick Knacks and
SilverQueen.
($1 = 1.3030 Singapore dollars)
(Reporting by Rujun Shen; Editing by Richard Borsuk)
((rujun.shen@thomsonreuters.com; +65-6403-5666; Reuters
Messaging: rujun.shen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: NESTLE SINGAPORE/PETRA FOODS LAWSUIT