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Disclaimer, if you couldn’t tell by the title, this is going to be a rage fueled rant. Proceed accordingly.
For those of you that haven’t heard, American garbage-chocolate producer Hershey recently won a lawsuit due to some licensing issues I don’t totally understand that has inhibited the import of British-made Cadbury chocolates. Hershey can still make “Cadbury” chocolates for the U.S. market, but that’s not fooling anyone. It’s a slightly better product that regular Hershey’s bars, but not by much.
Like I said, I don’t super understand what’s happening or why it’s all of a sudden a problem. A few of the products we won’t be able to get anymore are based on a fear on Hershey’s part that the Cadbury products were too similar to existing Hershey products and our tiny American brains couldn’t distinguish the minute differences, resulting in 10s of people accidentally getting a much better quality chocolate bar than they had anticipated.
We can say goodbye to Toffee Crisps, it’s pretty much the same thing as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I didn’t even know that Hershey’s held the trademark for orange.
Or my personal favorite, the names of York Peppermint Patties and Yorkie are awfully similar. I mean, did they expect me to go to the grocery store with a magnifying glass? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve just wanted a round peppermint patty from the impulse buy section by check out, and then accidentally found myself in Ethnic foods with a rectangular chocolate bar. I’m glad we will avoid that embarrassment in the future.
While I can totally understand Hershey not wanting the word to accidentally get out that literally every other chocolate in the whole world is better than there’s, real British Cadbury is not the easiest to find here. It was readily available, but you have to seek it out. They don’t even put it near the Hershey’s in stores. You have to want it. Their clientele has literally no over lap!
To make matters worse, Jeff Beckman, a representative for Hershey issued this smug repsonse,
“It is important for Hershey to protect its trademark rights and to prevent consumers from being confused or misled when they see a product name or product package that is confusingly similar to a Hershey name or trade dress…Given the immeasurable value of our brands, we work hard to protect these important intellectual assets and defend them against infringement.”
He talks to us like we are stupid and insinuates that a brand like Cadbury is trying to cling to their waxy coat tails.
This doesn’t feel like something that should be allowed to happen in what is often touted as a free country. The solution to this problem should be perhaps to make a better product, not run everyone else out of town. Free Market and whatnot. This is a war on chocolate! Where’s Fox News when you need them? Probably enjoying some chalky garbage chocolate.
The worst part about this is it’s almost impossible to protest.
Hershey would never notice a boycott from people who enjoy Cadbury. I can’t imagine they’re going to miss the candy bar I buy every 3 years to make s’mores, though I can tell you it will no longer be Hershey’s. There needs to be a way to tell them that I’m shifting my boycott against their chocolate tasting like sawdust to a boycott against them restricting my access to Cadbury.
News of this lawsuit broke 2 days ago and it’s already a cut-throat trip down the ethnic foods isle. It could be that I live near too many Brits.
Target was already out of Maltesers, which is heart breaking, but I cleaned them out of the rest of their stock.
I don’t feel like there has been an appropriate internet outcry about this, but I’m blinded by rage! This guy gets it.
I’m already planning an underground illegal chocolate smuggling ring (a charge I’d be proud to have on my record). Easter’s coming and I need my mini-eggs!
Am I being unreasonable or is this the worst thing ever? Does anyone in the world actually like Hershey’s chocolate. Thoughts?
*Raises hand*. Okay I do thoroughly enjoy the peanut butter cups. I actually had them shipped to me when I was in Japan. But I can’t say I’m a fan of asshole companies being….assholes. But since I’m in Australia now, the boycott against Hershey shouldn’t be too hard.
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Reese’s are great, I can’t lie… but I’m still mad!
Yes, we Americans are also up in arms. Hershey’s candy quality has been declining for the last 20 years, and many of us are addicted to REAL chocolate, that produced by Cadbury. I was purchasing from importers since I can’t find much in my local area, but now that’s out. If you want to see how we feel, check out the Hershey’s facebook page. Not sure if it’s still ongoing but yesterday there was a deluge of complaints and threats to boycott. My family threw out of the less crappy candy we had (Reese’s, twizzlers, etc.) We didn’t have any Hershey bars. It’s winter time, so no need to was surfboards….
I hate the assumption that American’s won’t notice. I know very few people who actually like Hershey’s candy.
I’ve got the worst palate in the world, and I will eat just about ANYTHING (that I’m not allergic to) and think it’s good. My husband loves the fact that he can take me to a cheapo Chinese restaurant and I’ll tuck into that just as well as I will some super fancy place. That being said, I don’t mind Hershey’s chocolate–I like it about as much as any other chocolate. I don’t have a sweet tooth at all, as this may also explain my general ambivalence towards this issue. Now, the fact that Nestle can’t/won’t import chocolate Smarties into the U.S., but they will import them to Canada–that’s something I get heated over! 🙂
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I’m not going to lie. I do like some of their products. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are good stuff. I’m just mad that I can’t get Cadbury anymore.
WHATTTT?!! I can’t eat milk chocolate anymore, but the mini eggs were my favorite thing ever! I’M SO SAD FOR AMERICA!!!
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They’re still going to be available with the same label, just made by Hershey and with a different recipe. It is very sad.
If this includes the EGGS I AM GOING TO DIE, Easter will never be the same.
Hershey will be producing the eggs, but with their own recipe so they will taste different.
Love the hoarding of the Cadbury eggs!
I’m an equal opportunity chocolate lover (though seriously…does anyone really eat the regular Hershey bars?), but this is just ridiculous.
I will not be buying any no-longer-the-same Cadbury eggs this Easter.
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I’m already upset about how much I’m going to have to spend ordering Cadbury online!
Have to say that for a country which does such fantastic cookies and brownies, the chocolate isn’t really up to scratch (although I do like Milk Duds!)
I’ll admit that I am a fan of some American chocolates. I love Heath Bars, but most of what we produce just isn’t good.
Rant on, girlfriend!
haha, don’t you worry Breanna, I will. Just wait til I run out of the Cadbury I’ve been stockpiling!