Latest news with #Chicago-based
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawsuit accuses Aldi of copying others' packaging: See for yourself
The Brief Mondelez, the company that makes Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Nilla Wafers and more, says Aldi is infringing on its trademarks by using packaging that resembles name brands. It's not the first time Aldi has been sued over its packaging. The maker of Oreos, Chips Ahoy and Wheat Thins is suing Aldi over the supermarket chain's packaging, alleging it "blatantly copies" their name brands. Mondelez, the company that makes the name-branded foods, filed the lawsuit in federal court Tuesday. What they're saying In the lawsuit, Chicago-based Mondelez claims Aldi's cookie and cracker packaging is "likely to deceive and confuse customers." RELATED: Here's where Aldi plans to open new US stores, convert existing chains Mondelez said it contacted Aldi on numerous occasions about "confusingly similar packaging." Aldi reportedly discontinued or changed the packaging on some items, but continued to sell others. The lawsuit includes side-by-side photos of multiple products – including the gold box for Aldi's Thin Wheat crackers that resembles Wheat Thins, the blue packaging for Aldi's chocolate sandwich cookies that resembles Oreos and the red box for Aldi's Golden Round crackers that resembles Ritz crackers. The lawsuit also accuses Aldi of infringing on Mondalez's trade dress rights for the packaging of Nutter Butter and Nilla Wafers cookies, and its Premium cracker brand. The other side Aldi didn't respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Aldi also wasn't immediately available for comment to LiveNow from FOX. Aldi is based in Germany, but its U.S. office in Batavia, Illinois is the branch named in the lawsuit. What's next Mondelez is seeking monetary damages and a court order to bar Aldi from selling products that copy its trademarks. The backstory Aldi keeps prices low by primarily selling products under its own labels. It's one of the fastest-growing grocery chains in the U.S., with more than 2,500 stores in 39 states. Dig deeper It's not the first time Aldi has been sued over its packaging. Last year, an Australian court found that Aldi infringed on the copyright of Baby Bellies snack puffs for young children. In that case, Aldi's packaging featured a cartoon owl and similar colors to the name-brand packaging. Earlier this year, a U.K. appeals court ruled in favor of Thatchers, a cider company, which sued Aldi over design similarities in the packaging of its lemon cider. The Source This report includes information from The Associated Press and images from a lawsuit filed against Aldi.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oreo maker Mondelez sues Aldi, alleging grocery chain copies its packaging to confuse customers
Snack food maker Mondelez International is suing the Aldi supermarket chain, alleging the packaging for Aldi's store-brand cookies and crackers 'blatantly copies' Mondelez products like Chips Ahoy, Wheat Thins and Oreos. In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Illinois, Chicago-based Mondelez said Aldi's packaging was 'likely to deceive and confuse customers' and threatened to irreparably harm Mondelez and its brands. The company is seeking monetary damages and a court order that would stop Aldi from selling products that infringe on its trademarks. Aldi didn't respond to messages seeking comment. The U.S. branch of Aldi, which is based in Batavia, Illinois, was named in the lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Mondelez displayed side-by-side photos of multiple products. Aldi's Thin Wheat crackers, for example, come in a gold box very similar to Mondelez's Wheat Thins. Aldi's chocolate sandwich cookies and Oreos both have blue packaging. The supermarket's Golden Round crackers and Mondelez's Ritz crackers are packaged in red boxes. Aldi, which was founded in Germany, keeps prices low by primarily selling products under its own labels. It's one of the fastest-growing grocery chains in the U.S., with more than 2,500 stores in 39 states. On Friday, the company announced that its current chief operating officer, Atty McGrath, would become Aldi's U.S. CEO on Sept. 1. The chain has faced lawsuits over its packaging before. Last year, an Australian court found that Aldi infringed on the copyright of Baby Bellies snack puffs for young children. In that case, Aldi's packaging featured a cartoon owl and similar colors to the name-brand packaging. Earlier this year, a U.K. appeals court ruled in favor of Thatchers, a cider company, which sued Aldi over design similarities in the packaging of its lemon cider. Mondelez said in its lawsuit that the company had contacted Aldi on numerous occasions about 'confusingly similar packaging.' Mondelez said Aldi discontinued or changed the packaging on some items but continued to sell others. The lawsuit also alleges that Aldi infringed on Mondalez's trade dress rights for the packaging of Nutter Butter and Nilla Wafers cookies, and its Premium cracker brand. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Federal judge dismisses suit that threatened wetlands on farmland nationwide
A federal judge in Iowa dismissed a lawsuit on Thursday that threatened millions of acres of wetlands, ecosystems that mitigate flooding, reduce water pollution and support biodiversity. While the lawsuit implicated wetlands nationwide, the battleground was a 72-acre farm in Delaware County, Iowa, owned by Chicago-based investor James Conlan. Conlan has over 1,000 acres of farmland in Iowa, which he leases to farmers who work the land. In some cases, he aims to eventually sell the land to developers. Represented by the libertarian Pacific Legal Foundation and Liberty Justice Center, Conlan argued that a federal provision colloquially known as Swampbuster, which discourages farmland owners from converting wetlands into cropland, infringes on property rights. Conlan and his lawyers did not respond to requests for comment following the decision, which detailed how his gripe with Swampbuster originated three years ago when he sought to cut down trees on 9 of his 72 acres federally designated as wetlands. Under the law, this would have made him and the farmer who leases the land ineligible for federal benefits such as subsidies, loans and insurance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and several environmental and sustainable agriculture groups countered that compliance with Swampbuster was voluntary. Farmers can drain and till wetlands, but if they do, they cannot expect to receive taxpayer dollars. An expectation of land stewardship is central to the partnership between farmers and the public, said Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation farmer and president of the Iowa Farmers Union, one of the several groups that joined with the federal government in the case. 'Thursday's decision means we can continue to have farm programs that have integrity,' he said Friday afternoon as he planted soybeans on his farm in Polk County, Iowa. Swampbuster protects 78 million acres, or two-thirds of the wetlands remaining in the continental U.S., according to Food and Water Watch, another group that joined the case in support of Swampbuster. In the upper Midwest, 30 million acres of wetlands, including over 640,000 in Iowa and 1 million in Illinois, are at risk of being destroyed by industrial agriculture, according to a study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Over half the nation's original wetlands have already been destroyed by farming, development and climate change since the 1780s. 'Every day Americans, and especially homeowners — they might not even know about this case — but it was a big win for them. Wetlands in the Midwest and across the country provide billions of dollars in mitigation benefits by preventing people from losing their homes due to floods,' said Katie Garvey, an attorney at the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center who represented the environmental and sustainable agriculture groups. Wetlands are natural sponges and filters, absorbing excess water to prevent flooding and catching pollutants before they run into local waterways. They are also critical habitats for a variety of plants and animals. Garvey and her colleagues were pleasantly surprised by the Agriculture Department's continued defense of Swampbuster under the Trump administration. The lawsuit was originally filed under the Biden administration. 'We've been very relieved to see that this administration is continuing to support the USDA and defend Swampbuster,' she said. Chief Judge C.J. Williams, who presided over the case, was also appointed to the Northern Iowa District Court by President Donald Trump during his first term. 'I think that part of the reason is that these programs are really popular with farmers and with Trump's base,' said Dani Replogle, a staff attorney with Food and Water Watch. 'I wonder if that is maybe contributing to them being a little bit more cautious with programs that benefit farmers and benefit farming more broadly?' Lehman warned that the alternative to the voluntary Swampbuster program is a total regulatory environment where farmers don't have choice on whether to comply with conservation programs. 'The only other options would be neglecting the environment or a total regulatory environment, which would be difficult,' he said. The fight to over Swampbuster's fate — and the millions of wetlands it protects — isn't over yet, however. Conlan's team plans to appeal the decision to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in St. Louis, according to a statement posted by the Liberty Justice Center on X Thursday evening. 'We're confident that the appellate court will ultimately rule that this federal law is unconstitutional. This law has been taking land from farmers for years, and we look forward to continuing to fight this unconstitutional law,' said the statement, which Conlan's lawyers referred the Tribune to, in lieu of an interview.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mondelēz sues Aldi over private label packaging that ‘blatantly copies' Oreo and Chips Ahoy!
This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter. Mondelēz International is demanding that Aldi change the packaging for several of its private label snacks, alleging in a lawsuit that the grocer's offerings copy the packaging of Oreos, Chips Ahoy! and five other of the snack giant's brands. The lawsuit, filed on May 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claims Aldi's packaging is 'likely to deceive and confuse consumers' who may associate a connection between the retailer and snack maker. Mondelēz is seeking damages and a permanent injunction to block Aldi from using the disputed packaging for its products. The lawsuit against Aldi marks the second one filed by Mondelēz in the last month to protect its brands and maintain market share. As more consumers turn to private label offerings in pursuit of value, Mondelēz is taking action. The Chicago-based food manufacturer contends Aldi's snacks 'blatantly copies and trades upon the valuable reputation and goodwill' that Mondelēz has built across its cookie and cracker brands. Mondelēz claimed Aldi ignored its 'reasonable requests,' leaving it 'no choice' but to sue. This embedded content is not available in your region. Aldi 'seeks to ride the coattails' of Mondelēz's reputation, the lawsuit alleges, with the retailer copying the packaging 'in order to benefit from its power of attraction, fame and/or prestige.' The grocer's alleged copyright infringement would 'threaten to irreparably harm Mondelēz and its valuable brands.' The 36-page complaint included exhibits displaying Mondelēz's packaging next to Aldi's packaging. The brands tied to the lawsuit are Oreo, Wheat Thins, Nutter Butter, Chips Ahoy!, Nilla Wafers, Ritz and Premium saltine crackers. In the case of Oreo, Mondelēz said Aldi uses product attributes similar to those found on the popular cookie's packaging. These include the prominent display of a tilted cookie, the blue background on the packaging and a lighter blue halo around the cookie. Oreo is the world's top-selling cookie with more than $4 billion in annual sales. Mondelēz claimed Aldi 'has a pattern and practice of selling products in packaging that are unacceptable copies' of the snack maker's packaging. The Chicago company said it had contacted the retailer on 'numerous occasions' in the past objecting to its 'confusingly similar packaging' for brands including Oreo, Teddy Grahams, belVita, Tate's and Triscuit. While Aldi discontinued and/or changed some of the designs following Mondelēz's objections, the food manufacturer said several offerings still copy its packaging Aldi did not respond to a request for comment. Aldi has faced other lawsuits over its packaging before. Earlier this year, a United Kingdom appeals court upheld a ruling that Aldi's cloudy lemon cider infringed on Thatchers' Cider's trademark. At the end of 2024, an Australian court found Aldi liable for infringing the packaging of three products from Hampden Holdings. Along with what's inside, packaging can be a big factor in deciding whether a shopper will decide to buy a product. A study by Shorr Packaging in 2020 found packaging was important for seven out of 10 individuals. And a 2018 Ipsos study revealed 72% of consumers said packaging design often influenced their purchase decisions. A Mondelēz spokesperson declined to discuss the lawsuit, noting its policy of not commenting on active litigation. Earlier this month, Mondelēz sued to halt a collaboration with Ghost energy drink and protein products that use brands such as Sour Patch Kids and Nutter Butter. Mondelēz claims it was not asked for permission to continue the partnership when Ghost was acquired by Keurig Dr Pepper, constituting a breach of contract. Updates with prior Aldi lawsuits Recommended Reading Ghost ends Sour Patch, Oreo flavor collaborations after Mondelēz lawsuit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Design Pros Say This Is a "Make-or-Break" When It Comes to Your Home's Curb Appeal
You immediately know when a home is teeming with curb appeal. Maybe it's the picture-perfect landscaping, lighting that's just right or the attractive front door with standout house numbers to match. Every detail matters. If boosting your home's curb appeal happens to be on your to-do list, consider these tips from design pros to get started. "You can never underestimate the value of curb appeal," says designer Sara Hillery of Sara Hillery Interior Design. "It truly sets the first impression for a home, hinting at who lives there and what the interior might be like." If there's one curb appeal task that's worth your time and money, it's gorgeous landscaping, featuring a thoughtful combination of pretty flowers and evergreens. "Beautiful landscaping that looks great year-round is make-or-break for the first-impression curb-appeal of your home," says Chicago-based designer Monique O'Brien of Monique O'Brien Design. She's partial to boxwoods with white hydrangeas — think limelight or bobos. "Then you can add in alliums in the back for flowers all spring and summer," O'Brien says. Miller also likes to embrace variety. "I love the drama and contrast that comes from mixing high and low plant proportions in the landscape," she says. "Along those lines, consider juxtaposing more structured elements like boxwoods or topiaries with looser, more natural-feeling flowers such as Dianthus or hollyhocks." And to prevent a "one-dimensional look," she incorporates "handmade bricks, stone elements or a welcoming seating area that encourages you to step outside and connect with the neighborhood." When planning your landscaping, don't go overboard with the color palette, though. Under two hues is O'Brien's rule: "It's best to stick with two bloom colors and varying shades of green in a garden. Any more than two and it looks like a circus." Landscape architect Janice Parker also recommends being strategic with color. "Be careful not to scatter color throughout the landscape, but instead choose impact points," Parker explains. "As they say, 'go big or go home' and if that doesn't work, go red! Be sure to give your eyes something to focus on – a central focal point can be a special tree, planter, statuary, bench or unique feature that reflects you and your vision." Pay attention to any large trees as well. "Stand back and look and look at your landscape through new eyes," Parker says. "People tend to overlook the shape and health of their large trees. Are there dead branches on your prominent trees? Are shrubs growing up in front of your windows? Everything will improve with a clean tight pruning." If your budget allows, an exterior paint job can do wonders for your property. Designer Danielle Domingues of Collins & Co Interiors says Sherwin-Williams' Alabaster, a white shade, is a no-fail pick. "It's warm, inviting, and timeless—perfect for creating a soft, welcoming look that feels both classic and current," Domingues explains. "To complement the clean elegance of Alabaster, I love adding symmetry and structure with topiaries in stylish planters flanking the front door. They instantly frame the entrance and add a touch of tailored greenery that brings life and personality to the space. It's a simple yet impactful way to enhance the overall look and feel of your home's exterior." Design pros suggest a layered approach for exterior lighting — a careful assortment of various light fixtures to set a home apart from the rest. "Good lighting adds charm during the day and a warm glow at night," says Liz Williams of Liz Williams Interiors. "You don't need to stop at the porch lights, consider path lights and other landscape lighting as well to elevate your home." Williams also relies on lantern-style fixtures in finishes like weathered bronze or matte black to give a home character. Vintage-inspired designs are good choices as well, she says. Designer Sarah Tract of Sarah Tract Interiors agrees that simply upgrading your exterior lighting can make a huge impact when it comes to curb appeal. "Thoughtful exterior lighting does more than just enhance safety — it adds a sense of depth and charm," Tract says. "I like to use a combination of statement sconces, subtle pathway lighting and even uplighting for trees or architectural features." A fresh coat of paint on your front door can go a long way, according to designer Debbie Mathews LeRoy of Debbie Mathews Antiques & Designs. "An interesting color will give it that pop that separates your home from your neighbors," Mathews LeRoy says. "I love using shades of green, blue, red or even yellow to give it visual interest or je ne sais quoi!" If it's your style, show off your aesthetic with unique door hardware that "makes your home feel well taken care of," Mathews LeRoy says. "Often homeowners do not include a kick plate, but this addition not only protects your door but adds a bit more sheen and pizazz! Consider adding an interesting door knocker with a lion's head, fox or basket motif — it can offer a bit of personality and share your personal interests." And don't forget to have fun with the house numbers too. "I opt for large house numbers that complement both the style of the house and the exterior paint color, and an oversize mailbox that is not cut-off-the-mill," says designer Beth Diana Smith. From stylish fencing to potted plants, there's no shortage of ways to give your home some extra oomph once you've tackled the major curb appeal projects on your list. One of Williams' go-to tricks? Rocking chairs. "Rockers create a cozy, lived-in feel and invite people to slow down and stay a while," she says. You can also add a throw blanket or two and some colorful outdoor pillows to brighten the space up. Try a garden stool as well: "A small garden stool next to each rocker is perfect for holding a drink, a book or even a potted plant," Williams says. "They're stylish, weather-friendly and functional." Regardless of the curb appeal project at hand, designer Heather French of French and French Interiors says stay true to your personal style. "The number one mistake I see homeowners make with curb appeal is trying too hard by overdoing it with trendy or overly contemporary elements that can quickly feel dated or out of place," French explains. It could be as simple as furnishing your home's exterior with a "natural coco mat rug, some beautifully potted plants with thoughtful symmetry and a great door knocker," French says. "These touches feel intentional and add sophistication to the entire entry." 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