OK we admit it The Sun (UK) beat us to it with the Cereal Killer headline . but it’s too good to turn down !
A CRUNCH legal battle between two cereal brands in New Zealand has led a judge to order the destruction of 108 boxes of Weetabix.
Christchurch-based British food importer A Little Bit of Britain and Australasian food giant Sanitarium had been locked in a bitter court clash over the import of the breakfast favourite.
108 boxes of Weetabix are set to be destroyed by New Zealand customs following a row over branding
Sanitarium, which produces the similarly-named cereal Weet-Bix, argued that importing the British cereal broke New Zealand copyright laws.
During the dispute last year customs officers in the country impounded a shipment of Weetabix boxes.
The food giant took A Little Bit of Britain to court in an attempt to stop them flogging the UK made cereal.
But despite a court in New Zealand finding that the country’s Fair Trading Act had not been breached he ordered that Weetabix could only be sold in specialist British product stores and websites.
Food giant Sanitarium argued that selling the Brit cereal breached the copyright on their own Weet-Bix brand
He also demanded that the word “Weetabix” be covered up when being sold to protect the Weet-Bix brand.
And in a final blow to the UK importers Justice David Gendall ordered the 108 seized Weetabix boxes to be destroyed, saying they had passed their use-by date.
Little Bit of Britain owner Lisa Wilson said although she was “grumpy” with the boxes being obliterated, she was pleased Weetabix would be back on the shelves.
Lisa told Stuff.co.nz: “We’re happy we can still sell it, obviously a little bit disappointed we have to re-label it but it’s not the end of the world.
Little Bit of Britain owner Lisa Wilson has said she is ‘grumpy’ about the destruction of the cereal boxes
“We get asked on a daily basis what is happening with the Weetabix…it’s one of our best-selling cereals.”
Wilson plans to have the cereal imported into the country in her next shipment of products predicting they will “fly off the shelves like hotcakes”.
A Sanitarium spokeswoman said the company was pleased with the outcome.
She said: “Sanitarium is pleased the court has reached a decision that resolves this trademark dispute in our favour.
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7340075/new-zealand-destroy-weetabix-trademark-war-weet-bix/
