A Philadelphia vegetarian food company has filed a lawsuit against Dunkin’ Donuts and Beyond Meat over the tagline for a plant-based sausage sandwich.
In 2019, the two companies launched the sandwich.
In a filing to a Florida District court on Thursday, Vegadelphia Foods, a subsidiary of the Sonate Corporation, said it patented the slogan “Where Great Taste is Plant-Based” four years before Dunkin’ and Beyond Meat debuted a similar slogan, “Plant-Based, Great Taste,” alongside their Beyond Sausage Sandwich in 2019.
The plant-based food company claimed it copyrighted the tagline in March 2015 with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Vegadelphia Foods said in its complaint that the corporations launched a massive marketing campaign utilizing the tagline, including online advertising with Snoop Dogg praising the food, asking customers: “You want that Plant-Based Great Taste fresh out of the oven?”
Vegadelphia Foods also accused Dunkin’ and Beyond of “beyond coincidence” in mimicking the layout and images of its own commercials.
Dunkin’ and Beyond generated more than $100 million in sales in the first six months after the vegan sausage sandwich was introduced, according to Vegadelphia Foods.
Vegadelphia Foods claimed it was seeking damages as well as a cut of Dunkin’ and Beyond’s revenues, as well as a ban on the companies using the term.
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