Poundland fighting Toblerone maker over a chocolate bar based on Shropshire’s The Wrekin rather than the Matterhorn
The budget chain's 'Twin Peaks' is based on the The Wrekin hills however Mondelez, says the bar is a rip-off of its famous Toblerone, modelled on Switzerland's Matterhorn.
POUNDLAND is in a legal battle with the makers of Matterhorn-inspired Toblerone over a chocolate bar they’ve based on Shropshire’s The Wrekin.
The budget chain say the Toblerone, made by Cadbury-owner Mondelez, is no longer distinctive enough to be a valid trademark - because of its controversial change to the shape last year.
Last month's launch of Poundland’s Twin Peaks bar was delayed after Mondelez fired off a legal claim at the high court, saying it was a copy.
Poundland has now filed a counterclaim.
Mondelez says the discount store’s Twin Peaks bar is a rip-off of its famous Toblerone, which is modelled on the Matterhorn mountain in Switzerland - which soars 14,692ft into the sky.
But Poundland say it's Twin Peaks bar has double triangles of chocolate and is modelled on the smaller and less well known 1,335ft Wrekin hill in Shropshire.
It says in legal documents that the 20 year old trademark for the triangular shape of Toblerone was “irretrievably abandoned” when the shape of bar was altered last year.
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Toblerone was slammed last year for widening the size of the gaps between the peaks.
This was a bid by the firm to reduce the amount of chocolate used while keeping the length the same.
Poundland says it brought out the Twin Peaks bar after shoppers were left disappointed by the changes.
Poundland trading director Barry Williams said of Twin Peaks: “Poundland shoppers are savvy and the change in their favourite chocolate bar last Christmas didn’t go unnoticed.
That’s why we’ve created a new £1 alternative for them - the size they wanted, with a British taste, and with all the spaces in the right places.”
