<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%">Coral Gables, FL</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">3.29.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has won a permanent injunction in its ongoing licensing dispute with Del Monte Foods Co, the canned produce and pet food company that split off in 1989.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Fresh Del Monte was awarded most of the relief it requested by U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein after a federal jury last April 6 ordered Del Monte Foods to pay the fresh fruit and vegetable company $13.15 million of damages, according to Reuters.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In 2008 Fresh Del Monte took legal action to back up the claim that it had an exclusive right to sell fresh fruits and vegetables under the Del Monte name.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Coral Gables, Florida-based company also accused Del Monte Foods of infringing its trademark right by selling preserved fruit in plastic cups, and misleading consumers into believing that the fruit was fresh.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The jury found that San Francisco-based Del Monte Foods breached the companies’ liscensing agreement in selling products that contained bananas, berries, melons, papayas, and pineapples.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">It also said Del Monte Foods violated a federal trademark law known as the Lanham Act in packaging and selling its Fruit Bowl, Fruit Naturals, SunFresh and Superfruit products, and in print advertising calling its products "Fruit Undressed."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The injunction bans Del Monte Foods from using the Del Monte trademark on products containing any of the five fruits and intended to be chilled at the point of sale, and from entering into related sales and distribution agreements.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Additionally, it bans Del Monte Foods from pasteurizing or adding preservatives to its fruit products without stating this on the labels, and from telling consumers that its fruit products "must be refrigerated" unless it has test results to back it up.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The "Fruit Undressed" campaign was also halted but future ad campaigns need not say Del Monte Foods products are preserved.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Stein rejected Fresh Del Monte's request for more regulation of Del Monte Foods' shipping and storage procedures.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">He also declined to award Fresh Del Monte attorneys fees and interest on the Lanham Act claims, but awarded interest on the breach of contract claim.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Anthony Dreyer, a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom representing Fresh Del Monte, said "Issuance of a permanent injunction is an important ruling not just for Fresh Del Monte, but for consumers of fresh fruit products as well," he added.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Partner at Morrison & Foerster, Arturo Gonzalez, who represents Del Monte Foods, also said he was pleased with the decision, and that the company has "already voluntarily taken all of the corrective measures" the court requested.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/28/delmonte-lawsuit-idUSL2N0CK1XF20130328" target="_new">Del Monte Dispute </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
