Archive · 29 Oct 2025
Mars and Cadbury Settle Decades-Long Trademark Dispute Over 'Celebrations'
Imagine two big candy companies, Mars and Cadbury, were fighting for a really, really long time over the name 'Celebrations' for their chocolate boxes.
This fight lasted for 25 years, which is a super long time!
They spent lots of time and money in court instead of making new yummy treats.
Other companies also fight over names, like restaurants arguing about who invented butter chicken, or even an airline fighting a car company over the letters '6E'.
These fights cost everyone a lot of money and take up space in the courts that are already very busy.
Even though companies want to protect their brand names, they shouldn't fight over words that everyone uses and that are already cheerful and common.
Finally, Mars and Cadbury decided to stop fighting and be friends again.
As part of their agreement, they will give chocolates to school kids, which is a much happier ending!
Mars Wrigley and Cadbury have settled a 25-year legal battle over the trademark 'Celebrations' with the approval of the Delhi High Court.
The dispute, which involved significant legal costs for both companies, highlights a trend of prolonged corporate trademark conflicts in India.
Other notable legal spats include a battle between Delhi eateries Moti Mahal and Daryaganj over the invention of butter chicken and dal makhani, and IndiGo's dispute with Mahindra over the use of '6E'.
Critics argue these corporate crusades consume excessive time, money, and judicial resources, potentially hindering innovation and burdening the court system.
As part of the settlement, Mars and Cadbury will each distribute ₹5 lakh worth of chocolates to Delhi schoolchildren.
- Who
- Mars Wrigley and Cadbury
- What
- Settled a 25-year legal dispute over the trademark 'Celebrations'
- When
- Recently, with the Delhi High Court approving the settlement.
- Where
- India, with legal proceedings in the Delhi High Court.
- Why
- To end decades of litigation concerning the use of the word 'Celebrations' as a trademark.
Companies Seeking Protection
Concerns Over Overreach and Judicial Burden
Intellectual Property and Market Confusion
Companies Seeking Protection
Companies argue for protection under India's Trade Marks Act, 1999, to prevent infringement and consumer confusion due to identical or deceptively similar marks.
Concerns Over Overreach and Judicial Burden
The law should protect innovation, not ossify it, and trademark rights are not monopolies over descriptive phrases, as courts have shown in cases like ITC Ltd vs Nestle India.
Cost of Litigation vs. Innovation
Companies Seeking Protection
Defenders of brand contests invoke legitimate concerns of intellectual property and market confusion, justifying legal action.
Concerns Over Overreach and Judicial Burden
These protracted legal battles, like the Mars-Cadbury dispute, cost significant time and money, potentially hindering innovation and consuming scarce judicial resources that could address other pressing cases.
- Duration of Mars-Cadbury Dispute
- 25 years
- Parties in Butter Chicken Dispute
- Moti Mahal and Daryaganj
- Mars Sales (2024)
- ₹2,329 crore
- Mondelez India (Cadbury) Revenue Source
- 70% from Dairy Milk and 5 Star
- Number of Pending Cases in India
- Over 50 million
- Settlement in Mars-Cadbury Case
- Distribution of ₹5 lakh worth of chocolates each to Delhi schoolchildren by both parties.