An agreement recently struck between Hershey and a British importer that would prevent Cadbury chocolate from being imported into the United States has some candy lovers seeing red.
The settlement between Hershey and Let's Buy British Imports (LBB Imports) signed last week would halt the company from importing Cadbury chocolates made overseas,
according to The New York Times. This would include KitKat bars made in Britain, along with Toffee Crisp, Yorkie chocolate bars and Maltesers.
"(LBB Imports) was importing products from the U.K. that were not intended for sale in the United States and infringe on The Hershey Company's brand trademark rights and trade dress," Hershey spokesman Jeff Beckman told
The Guardian.
"(LBB) recently signed a settlement agreement and agreed to discontinue importing … these infringing products," Beckman continued. The Times reported that Cadbury chocolates made in the United States can still be sold.
That incensed some like Manhattan British import restaurant Tea & Sympathy, which posted a terse response on the chocolate import ban on its
Facebook page last week.
"Due to legal action by the so called chocolate maker Hershey's, we can no longer import the real Cadbury chocolate from England," said the Tea & Sympathy post. "They want us to sell their dreadful Cadbury approximation but we can't in good conscience sell you such awful chocolate when we have made our reputation on selling you the yummy real English stuff."
Others have joined a
MoveOn.org petition demanding that Hershey back off and allow the Cadbury imports. The online petition has gathered more than 22,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning.
"This is total rubbish," one petitioner said about the Cadbury ban. "Don't take away my right to choose the product I want. I'd never buy your version of my good chocolates in a million years. If it's such a major problem, ask retailers to put a sticker on the U.K. versions 'Superior to U.S. product' so consumers won't accidentally buy yours."
Time magazine's Bill Saporito wrote that Cadbury lovers should "stop whining" because Hershey had legitimate legal reasons for pursing its action.
"Do those outraged petitioners realize that Hershey owns the rights to manufacture Cadbury's products in the U.S.?" wrote Saporito. "And that it might have a legitimate interest in protecting its property? It's one thing if a shop is importing a case or two of Cadbury's every now and then, but quite another if it becomes a competing business."
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