Family-owned Thatchers Cider, is celebrating after winning in the Court of Appeal in a trademark 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 trademark.
“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,” said Martin Thatcher, Thatchers’ managing director and great-grandson of the founder, William Thatcher.
“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.”
