Coffee giants Vittoria and Lavazza will meet in the Federal Court later this month in an bid to resolve a dispute over the trademark for the Italian word for “gold”.
Cantarella, which owns Vittoria, trademarked the term “oro” in the 1990s.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cantarella claims Lavazza has been unlawfully selling coffee beans with “oro” packaging since at least 2016.
Italy’s Lavazzo, which operates its Australian business from Melbourne, has allegedly “refused or alternatively neglected” to stop selling the products even after warnings, Cantarella said.
Lavazza has allegedly been using the word “oro” on five varieties of its Arabica bean packs sold on its website and at Coles and Woolworths online.
Cantarella is suing for damages caused by loss of sales. The case will be heard in the NSW Federal Court on September 23.
