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England and Wales Court of Appeal upholds M&S's UK registered design infringement claim against Aldi 'light-up gin' bottle; guidance on design representations, grace period and design corpus

Published on: 12 March 2024

Published by a LexisNexis IP expert
Legal News
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Article summary

Court of Appeal confirms Aldi bottle infringes M&S's registered designs (Marks & Spencer plc v Aldi Stores Ltd) Marks & Spencer plc v Aldi Stores Ltd [2024] EWCA Civ 178

What are the practical implications of this case?

The practical upshot is a renewed realisation of the strength of design rights in combating lookalikes. Although trade marks and passing off are often the first avenues pursued when taking action against copycat products, such claims have historically met with limited success. This judgment shows that, when obtained and deployed with care and breadth, registered designs can deliver a winning strategy against lookalikes, particularly where the imitation is sold under a separate brand identity. In this dispute, Aldi’s bottle carried the word ‘INFUSIONIST’. Because the issues were confined to designs, that difference in branding played no part in assessing the similarity between the products.

What was the background?

M&S introduced a range of gin-based, flavoured liqueurs sold in a festively styled bottle that housed edible gold flakes. When the bottle was shaken, the flakes lifted and remained suspended in the liquid, creating the impression that the bottle resembled a golden snow globe...

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