Pepperidge Farm sues Trader Joe's over cookies, cites similarity to Milano

Hadley Malcolm | USA TODAY

A line of cookies sold at Trader Joe's looks a little too familiar to Pepperidge Farm.

Pepperidge Farm, a division of Campbell Soup, sued the popular grocery chain for trademark infringement over a product called Crispy Cookies that it says too closely resembles both the look and package design of Pepperidge Farm's iconic Milano cookies — a line of oval-shaped sandwich cookies with chocolate filling. Pepperidge Farm accused Trader Joe's of deceptive marketing and diluting the value of Milano with Crispy Cookies, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Connecticut federal district court.

"Trader Joe’s has willfully sought to trade on Pepperidge Farm’s reputation and the reputation of the Milano cookies," the company wrote in the complaint, which asks that Trader Joe's be prohibited from selling the cookies and seeks damages for Pepperidge Farm. Pepperidge Farm first notified Trader Joe's of potential trademark infringement in August, according to the document.

Pepperidge Farm has a trademark for Milano cookies, which were launched in 1956. Pepperidge Farm says it has generated "hundreds of millions of dollars" in Milano cookie sales in the last ten years.

Reached by USA TODAY, Trader Joe's spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said the company doesn't comment on pending litigation.