Food Empire Holdings trumps McCafe in brand identity battle in Lithuania

MacCoffee 3 in 1 isn’t “confusingly similar,” court rules.

Singapore Exchange-listed Food Empire Holdings' three-year brand identity battle in Lithuania against McDonald's International Property Company has ended, as a court ruled in favor of Food Empire Holdings' subsidiary Future Enterprises to keep its MacCoffee 3 in 1 brand.

According to Food Empire Holdings' news release, Food Empire Holdings' trademark protection ruling, originally ruled in September 2013, was contested in an appeal where the initial court decision was upheld.

Following evaluation of the elements as well as the overall global impression of the compared trademarks of McCafe and MacCoffee 3 in 1, the Chamber of Judges decided that the marks were "not confusingly similar."

“We are happy with the outcome and this has established a basis in one of the members of the European Union. Food Empire has been operating in Lithuania for more than a decade and the court’s decision will allow us to continue to build on the success of our brand,” commented the group’s executive chairman, Tan Wang Cheow.