Global Grocery Chain Aldi Sued Over ‘Snow Globe’ Liqueur Bottle

Marks & Spencer’s snow globe-style gin liqueur bottle is pictured. The retailer is suing Aldi over a similar bottle. (Photo: Marks & Spencer)

United Kingdom Retailer Marks & Spencer is suing international grocery company Aldi on the grounds of copyright infringement regarding Aldi’s The Infusionist Small Batch, a light-up bottle of gin liqueur in the style of a snow globe, featuring edible gold flakes that swirl around the bottle like snow when given a shake.

The bottle closely resembles Marks & Spencer’s line of Snow Globe Gin liqueurs, such as its Blood Orange Light Up Musical Snow Globe Gin Liqueur, which lights up, contains edible silver and gold flakes and even plays Christmas music.

Marks & Spencer filed legal documents at the British High Court earlier this month, claiming Aldi’s Infusionist bottle, which comes in clementine and blackberry flavors, is a copy, and is seeking an injunction to stop the grocer from infringing its design, asking it to surrender or destroy the stock and pay damages. Marks & Spencer registered a copyright for the design of its bottle earlier this year, according to the Financial Times, via The Drinks Business.

Marks & Spencer claimed that an average member of the public “who is interested in purchasing liqueur during the Christmas period” might not notice the difference between the two products, according to the Daily Mail.

Marks & Spencer said it would “always seek to protect our reputation for freshness, quality, innovation and value, and protect our customers from obvious copies.”

Former stars of Rupaul’s Drag Race UK recently showed off looks inspired by Marks & Spencer’s Blood Orange Light Up Musical Snow Globe Gin Liqueur.

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