Pepperidge Farm, Trader Joe's in Secret Milano Cookie Truce

Pepperidge Farms and Trader Joe's have ended their war over the scrumptious Milano cookie  by reaching a trademark infringement agreement, the Hartford Courant reported, but it's secret.

Apparently only regular munchers of Milanos and Trader Joe's lucious facsimiles will notice any difference.

Pepperidge Farms sued Trader Joe's back in December, claiming the supermarket chain created Trader Joe's Crispy Cookies to resemble its popular Milano cookie in an effort to trick customers into thinking it was the Pepperidge brand.

The Courant noted that the Trader Joe cookie in question appeared to have the similar shape of the Milano.

Pepperidge Farms has a right to feel over protective of its brand since the Milano has appeared in television shows like "Frasier," "Will and Grace" and "Seinfeld."

Pepperidge Farm, which Reuters noted is the bakery unit of Campbell Soup, said in December that Trader Joe's rectangular-shaped edges was "mimicking an overall oval shape" of the Milano. Pepperidge Farms also claimed that Trader Joe's used similar packaging.

A judge dismissed the case in U.S. District Court in Hartford on March 9 when Pepperidge Farms filed a withdrawal notice, reported the Courant. Attorney Ira Levy, representing Pepperidge Farms, told the newspaper on Wednesday that the two companies came to a "mutually satisfactory resolution." 

"We don't comment on litigation," a Trader Joe's representative told the website Consumerist in an article posted Wednesday.

"The lawsuit sought undisclosed damages and to block Trader Joe's from selling its sandwich cookie in the future," the Consumerist wrote. "So does this mean shoppers will have access to both kinds of cookies? It's unclear, but seems likely…"

Pepperidge Farm, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, produces bakery products that include Sausalito cookies, along with Goldfish and Baked Natural crackers. The company also bakes more than 50 varieties of baked breads including the Pepperidge Farm Swirl.

Trader Joe's is based out of Monrovia, California, according to Reuters.

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