September 2004
Not "Just one Cornetto" for Gordon Ramsay
Celebrated expletive chef Gordon Ramsay has been challenged by Unilever over his use of their registered trademark "Cornetto" in his restaurants.
Ramsay has been marketing a dessert comprising of three miniature ice creams for £6 on the menu at his upmarket Boxwood Café in Knightsbridge. Understandably Unilever were not overly impressed by his use of their mark without their consent and sent him a letter before action threatening court action in the event that he did not cease use of the mark.
It is unclear as to whether Ramsay has decided to remove the dessert from his menu or rename it and therefore endeavour to escape legal proceedings. What is apparent from his alleged comments to the press is that he believes himself to have improved the image of the Unilever Cornetto by selling his own twist on the product in his restaurants.
BRIFFA Comment:
Unfortunately using a trade mark in a way that could be seen as actually improving the good will and reputation in a mark is not a defence to trade mark infringement. The fact is that Ramsay is still using a trade mark which is identical to an existing registered mark for an identical product i.e. "Cornetto" for ice creams, which constitutes plain old fashioned trade mark infringement however posh the ice cream is.