Battle of the Easter bunnies - Lindt vs tiny Austrian firm By Ivonne Marschall

dpa German Press Agency Published: Monday April 2, 2007

By Ivonne Marschall,
Vienna- For three years Swiss chocolate giant Lindt &
Spruengli and the tiny Austrian confectionary producer Hauswirth have
been locked in a court battle over chocolate Easter bunnies with no
happy ending in sight for the sweet heralds of springtime.
For 50 years, Hauswirth's doe-eyed bunny had been the centrepiece
of local Easter baskets, eagerly awaited and equally eagerly
devoured.

But he bunny's luck changed in 2004, when Lindt insisted
Hauswirth was infringing trademark rights by producing the sitting
bunny, covered in gold foil with a ribbon around its neck.

"I do not understand this dispute", said Roman Hauswirth, head of
the family-run company. "Lindt's bunnies are made for adults, while
our products are solely geared towards children."

Replacing the red ribbon around the Hauswirth bunny's neck with a
red-white-red ribbon in Austria's national colours did not pacify
chocolate producer Lindt, who in 2000 trademarked its golden Easter
bunny.

Hauswirth, which produces 25 different varieties of Easter bunnies
cannot risk to sell its golden bunny to wholesale traders and
supermarkets for the danger of risking Lindt's wrath.

In 2004 an Austrian court ruled in favour of the local chocolate
makers, but as Lindt contested the ruling the next round has to be
fought out at Austria's High Court, which is expected pass a ruling
this summer.

Lindt is convinced their bunny is the one and only original with
Hauswirth plagiarizing the long-eared delicacy.

Hauswirth's annual production of around 300,000 bunnies of all
shapes and sizes is small fish compared with the approximately five
million Lindt bunnies grinning from shelves worldwide in the weeks
ahead of the Easter holidays.

"I have nothing against Lindt - they make great products. But I
am against the ruthless way they treat the competition. This is why I
fight against them. It is a matter of principle," Hauswirth said, but
added that he would be glad when things were over.

© 2006 - dpa German Press Agency

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