Overview
- Ritter Sport filed an appeal with the Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart on February 9 after losing at the Landgericht Stuttgart in mid‑January.
- The first‑instance court dismissed the complaint, with Judge Thomas Kochendörfer finding no trademark infringement and no likelihood of confusion.
- The ruling noted the challenged Wacker packaging differs visually from Ritter Sport’s mark, undermining claims of consumer confusion.
- Wacker has temporarily withdrawn the square ‘Monnemer Quadrat Bio’ and is selling a rectangular ‘Monnemer Klageriegel,’ citing potential damage claims and protecting a roughly 30‑person business.
- Ritter Sport argues its square packaging, protected since 1996, is a key identifier across similar goods, while both sides now face the prospect of a multi‑year dispute without a settlement.