Switzerland’s highest court last fall ruled that the gold foil-wrapped chocolate bunnies from Lindt & Sprüngli are protected under law this Easter.

Switzerland’s highest court last fall ruled that the gold foil-wrapped chocolate bunnies from Lindt & Sprüngli are protected under law from copycats; and, that German company Lidl is ordered to stop selling a similar product.

In addition, the discount grocery store Lidl was forced to destroy all its remaining stock of chocolate bunnies.

One bunny reigns supreme

This Easter is the first where chocolate order has been restored and only gold-foiled wrapped Lindt & Sprüngli bunnies are being sold in Europe. The Swiss chocolate maker has fought many similar court battles over the years to protect its best-selling product.

Lindt & Sprüngli sells 150 million ‘Goldhasen’ bunnies in 50 markets around the world. The bunnies have been sold in Germany since 1952. The specific color of gold wrapping has been used since 1997.

Shortly after the Lindt legal case success against Lidl, a court in Munich banned Germany’s Allgäuer Confiserie Heilemann from producing chocolate bunnies that appear to also infringe on the chocolate bunny patent rights of Lindt & Sprüngli. Should the German chocolatier breach Lindt’s trademark rights, it may be forced to pay a CHF248,000 fine.

Happy Easter from The Swiss Times.

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