Bitter sweet battle

MAKERS of a new ‘teddy bear’ adult treat in Spain have locked horns in a legal battle with an international manufacturer over their sweet with a twist.

Basque-based Ositos and Co - makers of an alcohollaced gum chew - have been accused of breaching trademarks owned by giant Haribo over its ‘Ositos de Oro’ sweet.

Haribo issued a ‘cease and desist’ letter; insisting the young company end manufacturing, sales and give up its ositosconalcohol.com domain to the giant.

The battle has caught the attention of the international press and the newcomers, a company run by three friends from Portugalete, near Bilbao, have instructed lawyers after stumbling into a prospective legal battle.

Haribo, a German company founded in 1922, maintains it is only 'protecting and defending' an intellectual property right after registering its ‘gold bears’ brand in 1967.

One of the three entrepreneurs behind Ositos and Co, Andre Mendez said they decided to mix a sweet with alcohol because it made a 'good match'.

And he admitted the controversy had been good for the company with sales and website hits soaring after newspapers in Germany, Britain and Spain reported the David and Goliath struggle.

Mendez said the company was determined to fight its corner. “There are many similar brands working with little bears other than Haribo.”

The new sweet - containing about 15% alcohol - was first on sale in Basque cocktail bars and then became a popular novelty buy at Valencia airport.

The manufacturers say chewing seven or eight is like drinking a glass of wine or beer... and is for over 18s.