The manufacturer Alfred Ritter from Waldenbuch, Germany, near Stuttgart has a typical square shape registered as a trademark. This was judged by the chocolate manufacturer Milka Mondelez.
–
Somewhat paradoxically, according to the court, the square shape of chocolate would not deserve patent protection if the interest of the square shape was the only value of chocolate. However, the judges concluded that the specific shape of Ritter Sport chocolate is, at first sight, a visible guarantee for consumers about the origin and quality of the chocolate.
–
The litigation lasted for ten years and was ended by a decision of the Supreme Court, which is the court of last instance. Prior to that, the Federal Patent Court last ruled in favor of Ritter in November 2018.
–
However, over time, the manufacturer Milky also scored certain victories. In 2016, he managed to convince the patent court that the square shape of chocolate is suitable for transporting the product.
–
Alfred Ritter’s history dates back to 1912. The Ritter’s Sport Schokolade brand first appeared twenty years later in 1932. Clara Ritter, Alfred Ritter’s wife, came up with the idea of ”sports chocolate” that would fit in a sports pocket thanks to its square shape. jackets. Since 1970, the brand has used the name Ritter Sport.
–
Poll
How do you choose chocolate?
A total of 1473 readers voted.
—
:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/172ad2b0-cc37-11ea-a270-0218eaf05005.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)