Snowball fight: Cadbury owner in trademark row over festive chocolate treat

Mondelēz, which owns Cadbury, has challenged vegan chocolate maker Moo Free over its use of “Snowballs” for dairy-free white chocolate treats. The dispute matters because Moo Free says Mondelēz wants the products removed just before Christmas, while the company says it is seeking to protect a popular seasonal brand and remains open to an amicable resolution.

Cadbury Snowballs launched in 1966, and Mondelēz registered “Snowball” and “Snowballs” as trademarks for chocolate confectionery in 2001. Moo Free says it has sold its product for about two years and denies that infringement has been established; no legal action has been taken. The row follows Mondelēz’s separate action against vegan maker Catherine’s Originals over a bar it says copies Toblerone’s shape, and recalls a 2014 VAT case involving Scottish coconut-covered snowballs.