M&S stated that it is “important to protect” the Percy Pig brand. Right: Swizzels' 'Mugs with pigs'
Marks & Spencer agreed to end a dispute with the Swizzels candy company after accusing it of copying its Percy Pig sweets.
Swizzels, which makes Drumstick and Parma Violets, said it will redesign its Pig Mugs, which it in production since 1996 after a six-month battle with M&S.
The retailer said it had reached a “settlement deal” with Swizzels, but declined to provide further details of the settlement. .
A spokesman for M&S said: “M&S has a proud history as a leading innovator and for almost 140 years, customers have looked to M&S for unique, original and quality products that are conceived, created and developed with trusted suppliers and manufactured. meets the highest standards.
“M&S has invested heavily in building a strong Percy Pig brand over the past 30 years and believes it is important to protect registered trademarks associated with Percy Pig's appearance.”
M&S lawyers said last November that Pigs Mugs sweets are so similar to Percy Pigs that customers could accidentally buy the Swizzels brand.
In a 37-page document filed with the High Court, the seller's lawyers said their sweets are so popular that one buyer got a tattoo of Percy's face. M&S estimates that it sells about 270 packets of its sweets per minute.
Meanwhile, Swizzels claimed that the trademark registered by M&S was of such poor quality that the face “looks more like a teddy bear.” than a pig.”
The Derbyshire-based Swizzels have been making sweets since 1928 and also produce lines including Refreshers and Parma Violets.
The settlement marks the final legal battle that M&S has launched in recent years.
In February 2022, the company settled a copyright dispute with Aldi over its Colin the Caterpillar cake after the German discounter changed the look of its double version, the Caterpillar Cuthbert. . In February, Aldi lost a year-long lawsuit with Marks & Spencer for imitating LED-lit gin bottles.
Swizzels declined to comment.
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