AFP, MADRIDAnder Mendez and his friends were hoping they had struck it rich with the idea of selling alcohol-infused gummy bears — until they found themselves in the sights of sweet giant Haribo. In a not-so-sweetly worded legal letter, Haribo has accused their start-up of infringing its trademarked little bear. In 2012, Haribo took legal action against Swiss chocolate maker Lindt, saying its hollow chocolate teddy bears wrapped in gold foil were an imitation of its products. Following a long-running legal battle, a German court ruled in Lindt’s favor, saying the chocolate bears could not be mistaken for Haribo’s jelly sweets. At the time, the award generated some controversy, with opposition figures saying the product would encourage the consumption of alcohol among youngsters.

Source: Taipei Times January 20, 2020 16:03 UTC