---
title: The chocolate bunny wars
description: Lindt and Sprüngli has been trying to stop companies from copying its signature chocolate bunny for years.
---

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# [The chocolate bunny wars](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/10042022-chocolate-bunny-wars)

 Written by [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) | Oct 4, 2022 7:45:41 AM

Swiss chocolatier Lindt and Sprüngli has been fighting in court for years over a quintessential Easter treat: the chocolate bunny.

Lindt’s been making its “Gold Bunny” — a seated bunny, wrapped in gold foil with a red ribbon and bell around its neck — [since 1952](https://www.lindt-spruengli.com/about-us/brands/lindt/gold-bunny).

Today, it produces **160m+** bunnies annually.

#### **Last week…**

… the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland decided that German discount chain Lidl must stop selling its bunnies in Switzerland because:

- Lindt’s are protected by Swiss trademark law.
- The two were similar enough that the public could confuse them.

Lidl was also ordered to destroy any remaining bunnies, but Lidl said it doesn’t have any because they’re seasonal, [per](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/01/business/lindt-lidl-chocolate-bunnies.html) *The New York Times*.

#### **But that’s only one battle in the bunny wars**

Lindt has repeatedly gone after other companies producing similar products, including Austria’s [Hauswirth](https://fortune.com/2022/09/30/lindt-lidl-chocolate-bunnies-trademark-law-court-ruling/) and Germany’s [Heilemann](https://www.reuters.com/business/lindt-chocolate-bunnys-gold-tone-is-trademark-protected-germanys-federal-court-2021-07-29/). Also:

- **In 2001,** Lindt achieved trademark approval on its bunny’s shape, per *Fortune.*
- **In 2021,** a German court ruled Lindt’s gold foil had trademark protection after Lindt cited a survey that found [70%](https://www.l4sb.com/blog/the-trademark-battle-of-the-golden-chocolate-bunnies/) of respondents associated it with its bunny.

Some bunnies — like these [standing, tuxedo-wearing](https://www.candynation.com/solid-milk-chocolate-bunnies) ones you may remember from childhood — are likely safe (for now).

**BTW:** [This video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uuVuQKPdeU&t=10s) shows how the Gold Bunny is made. It’s narrated by the bunny, which is hilariously weird.

[View full post](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/10042022-chocolate-bunny-wars)

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