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Hershey v. Torres


TheUnknownCook

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Shoot, now when I go into the drugstore, I'll be confused. I'll pick up a bag of Hershey's kisses and be afraid I might accidentally be buying a bag of Jacques Torres's chocolates. And I surely wouldn't want that to happen!

"I think it's a matter of principle that one should always try to avoid eating one's friends."--Doctor Dolittle

blog: The Institute for Impure Science

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Last time I tried any Hershey's was at Halloween--when I was 12 years old, and I have never tried any of Torres's stuff either. '

Like the big legal battle between Sacher and Demel with the "Sachertorte" last century, I'm guessing that this has everything to do with advertising.

That being said, I have read the book "Bittersweet Chocolate", and it goes into some detail about Hershey's and the way it conducts business, say, for example with the country of Ivory Coast, or say, for example with the way it treated cocoa farmers in the country of Belize. It's not very pleasant, but it is thoroughly researched, and backed up with specific documentation and facts.

Of course, in all fairness, I don't know how much better the other mega-chocolate companies do their business.

On a totaly different subject, for a some laughs and gasps you could read about Mr. Mars, the founder of the "Mars bars" fame. Interesting reading to say the least.....

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Buttercup: You mock my pain.

Man in Black: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

-- The Princess Bride

If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy -- Red Green

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We rarely eat fast foods, but I am indebted to you, Unknown Cook, for posting all this information. I've wanted to see the Supersize Me movie and here it is on eGullet. Thanks.

We travel a lot across the USA every year, and try very hard not to eat in fast food joints which are, of course, nearest to the freeways, convenient, fast, etc, etc. Taking snacks of plain chocolate with lots of raw almonds in it helps immensely. Actually that would make a good eG topic. How do you keep from eating fast foods while you are traveling... :hmmm:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Is Jacques Torres going to confuse people? I don't think so. Is he intentionally trying to cash in on people's familairity with the Hershey product so that they kind of have an idea of what his item is like? I dunno.

But here the thing. Hershey certainly has a trademark here. And one thing that trademark holders have to do is PROTECT that trademark. They need to defend it. They can run into troubles if they let a "little" guy like Jacques Torres does it, but then try to enforce it when some large entity does something similar. If you don't use it, protect it, etc. it can be considered abandoned. Of course, there are some possible counter claims here. One could claim that "kiss" has become generic in the way thermos or asprin did. Has that happened? I dunno. That's for the courts to figure out.

FWIW, here is my source http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm#6 If I didn't get something right, maybe Fat Guy can tell me what I missed. He is is a lawyer, afterall. ;)

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

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Some interesting thoughts, but mine is why on earth would Torres want to associate his stuff with Hershey's? Huge difference in quality and price.

So yeah, protect Hershey's trademark, O.K., but I think that any advertising is good advertising and to poke your finger at a high end chocolatier might have an effect of some of the high end maker's reputation rubbing off....

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