The design of Nespresso's famous coffee capsules is set to be accessible to more brands following a court ruling in Brussels, as reported by the newspaper De Tijd.
Nestlé, Nespresso's parent company, has been engaged in legal debates regarding the company's trademark for its capsules.
In the early 2000s, the company registered a three-dimensional trademark, which it renewed in 2011 for the Benelux area. This type of trademark involves the 3D shape, design or packaging of a product. However, the exclusivity of Nespresso's capsule was challenged by the confectionery multinational, Mondelez, in 2013.
The Brussels Court of Appeal recently validated Mondelez's position and ruled against the protected status of Nespresso's coffee capsules. According to De Tijd, the main argument for the ruling is that a company cannot have a monopoly on a product based on its technical aspect.
While Nestlé told De Tijd that it is considering its legal options, the ruling allows more brands to legally create their own version of coffee capsules that can be used in Nespresso machines. The growing competition is likely to see changes in the prices of coffee pods.
