Claims extracted
18
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
11%
2 of 18 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
The Guardian's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Other
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
The owner of Cadbury and Toblerone has demanded that a small vegan chocolate brand remove its products from shelves in a trademark dispute over the use of the word snowball.
asserted
brand → demand → snowball
Mondelēz International has written a legal letter to Moo Free accusing it of trademark infringement by selling its White Choccy Snowballs – gluten-free biscuit-flavoured rice balls covered in dairy-free white chocolate.
asserted
International → write → chocolate
Cadbury Snowballs first launched in the UK in 1966, and have been sold in their current form as packs of Mini Snow Balls since 2023.
asserted
Snowballs → launch → 2023
The brand registered use of the word Snowball and Snowballs for use in chocolate confectionery as a trademark in 2001.
asserted
brand → register → 2001
Its Mini Snow Balls are made from Dairy Milk chocolate covered in a crispy shell of white icing sugar.
asserted
Balls → make → sugar
The legal fight has emerged just days after Mondelēz launched legal action against another small vegan chocolate brand, Catherine’s Originals, accusing it of copying the famous chunky shape of Toblerone with its O’bar.
Moo Free, which has products stocked in several major supermarkets and online, said it had been selling its Snowballs for about two years before Mondelēz demanded it immediately remove the items from sale just ahead of the busy Christmas period.
Mike Jessop, who co-founded Devon-based Moo Free in 2010 when he and his wife could not find allergen-free chocolates for Easter or Christmas, said they began selling online before being picked up by Waitrose and then other supermarkets.
uncertain
they → emerge → Waitrose
He said he had “never even heard of” Cadbury Snow Balls and was lactose intolerant so couldn’t try one.
asserted
he → say → one
He was surprised Mondelēz had been so “heavy-handed” in its letter and questioned whether it could be possible to trademark an apparently generic term.
uncertain
it → surprise → term
“It’s a snowball, it is not like we are making a Freddo,” he said, referring to Cadbury’s famous frog-shaped bar.
asserted
he → ’ → bar
In a letter to customers, Moo Free wrote: “Moo Free takes intellectual property concerns seriously.
asserted
Free → write → concerns
However, we do not accept that any infringement has been established and have responded accordingly …
asserted
infringement → accept → ?
We are disappointed to find ourselves in this position, and we stand in solidarity with Catherine’s Originals as it addresses its own situation.
asserted
it → disappoint → situation
We hope to resolve these matters appropriately.”
asserted
We → hope → matters
A spokesperson for Mondelēz International said: “Cadbury Snow Balls are one of our most popular Christmas products, enjoyed by households across the UK.
asserted
Balls → say → UK
No legal action has been taken, but we have been in touch with Moo Free to make them aware of our trademark.
asserted
them → take → trademark
We are open to reaching an amicable resolution.
asserted
We → reach → resolution
Tunnock’s and Lees of Scotland won legal action against HMRC in 2014 after proving they did not have to pay VAT on their coconut-covered confections, as they were deemed sufficiently similar to a cake for an exemption.
asserted
they → win → exemption
Snowballs made by these two suppliers – defined as “a dome of marshmallow coated in any combination” of chocolate, sugar strands, carob, cocoa or coconut – were subsequently given their own VAT-free status.
asserted
Snowballs → make → status
The Aporia
