Nestle has been accused of infringing a trademark owned by Indian dairy giant Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, the marker of the Amul brand.
The Swiss food giant has rebranded its eponymous milk and dahi brand in India as Nestle a+. The move has angered GCMMF, which has sent a legal notice to Nestle warning the company of possible prosecution for trademark infringement. The Indian dairy co-op sells products under the Amul A+ brand. Reports in India suggest GCMMF could look for damages of around US$20m.
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When contacted by just-food, R. S. Sodhi, GCMMF’s managing director, confirmed the company had sent the letter but declined to comment further.
Nestle, however, has defended the new name for its dairy products. Speaking to just-food, a spokesperson for Nestle India said: “Nestle owns the trademark ‘a+plus’ and all its variants including ‘a+’, and our use is consistent with applicable law. The notice sent by Amul seems to be based on some misunderstanding which we expect will get clarified. Reports that Nestle has been sued by Amul are incorrect. There is no matter in court.”
