Sainsbury’s and Diageo reach agreement over Pimm’s/Pitchers row
Sainsbury’s and drinks manufacturer Diageo have settled the ongoing dispute over the Supermarket’s gin-based cocktail drink, Pitchers.
Sainsbury’s will now adapt the label to a version both companies are satisfied with, but it will continue to be called Pitchers. The new label will feature more prominent Sainsbury’s branding and replace the gold and red colours with orange (See related images for new label).
The drinks manufacturer started legal proceedings against Sainsbury’s in August over an “intellectual property matter” regarding the branding of its Pitchers drink, which it alleged was a trademark infringement on its Pimm’s brand.
In a joint statement, Sainsbury’s and Diageo confirmed that legal proceedings have been withdrawn and the dispute settled amicably.
The supermarket previously described its gin-based cocktail drink as its “own version of the UK’s favourite summer cocktail” and said it saw no basis for the claim made by Diageo as its customers are “savvy enough to know exactly what they’re buying, the clue is in the name.”
Legal experts warned when Diageo launched legal action against Sainsbury’s that it could have “far-reaching” implications for supermarkets in terms of lookalike own brand products.
