Chips Ahoy and Oreo maker Mondelez sues grocery chain Aldi over similar packing

Snack brand giant Mondelez is suing grocery chain Aldi, alleging that the grocer’s store-brand snacks “blatantly” copied Mondelez packaging.

Snack brand giant Mondelez is suing grocery chain Aldi, alleging that the grocer’s store-brand snack packaging “blatantly copies” Mondelez. The maker of Oreo, Triscuit and Chips Ahoy filed the lawsuit on May 27 against the German grocer, which has US headquarters in Illinois, in the federal court for the Northern District of Illinois. Chicago-based Mondelez said in the lawsuit that Aldi’s cookie and cracker packaging was “likely to deceive and confuse” customers. Aldi did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. The discount supermarket chain primarily sells store-brand versions for lower prices than popular name brands, such as those owned by Mondelez. Mondelez said in its filing that it previously contacted Aldi about “copycats” of the Oreo cookie design, Teddy Grahams, Belvita biscuits, Triscuit crackers and Tate’s Bake Shop cookies. Aldi eventually “discontinued” and “changed certain of these infringing products,” Mondelez said. The lawsuit claims Aldi’s peanut butter creme-filled cookies, chocolate chip cookies and Thin Wheat crackers have packaging similar to Nutter Butter, Chips Ahoy and Wheat Thins, among other similarities.