Jägermeister poised to take legal proceedings over brand substitution

Published: 30 August, 2011

German herbal liqueur brand, Jägermeister has threatened legal action against five bars in the Midlands over claims they served substitute products.

Enquiries by private investigators revealed that the bars served the substitute products in place of Jägermeister, when Jägermeister was asked for by name.

This was confirmed by laboratory tests and showed cases of substitute products had been poured from Jägermeister-branded bottles.

Lawyers acting for Mast-Jägermeister SE, the brand owner, have written to the five bars advising them that they have evidence from visits to the bars of passing off or pouring over.

The bars are asked to cease and desist from these practices or face legal proceedings.

'Passing off' means serving another, often cheaper or inferior, brand from the one asked for by a customer, 'pouring over' is to mislead the customer by serving a cheaper or inferior product in the packaging of another brand.

The actions arise from a UK-wide crack-down on infringments of Mast-Jägermeister SE trade marks and intellectual property.

Mast-Jägermeister SE has been monitoring the situation in the on-trade in the wake of its growth in the UK, which it claims total sales rose more than 100% in the last 12 months.

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