Court in Brazil’s Minas Gerais slaps down Nestle copyright lawsuit

SAO PAULO, Dec 19 (Reuters) – A court in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais has granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Brazilian company Coffee++, ordering international giant Nestle to stop using the Coffee+ brand, according to a court document seen by Reuters.

Judge Claudia Helena Batista granted Coffee++’s request for a preliminary injunction on Wednesday, citing potential harm to the Brazilian company due to consumer “confusion” between the brands.

Nestlé faces unspecified fines if it does not comply with the ruling and remove all items bearing the Coffee+ logo from physical and online sales outlets, according to the decision.

“The use by the defendant (Nestlé) of an identical trademark belonging to the plaintiff could cause harm to the plaintiff, given that it could generate confusion among the general public,” Batista said.

The decision is provisional, but Coffee++ has promised not to back down from the dispute.

“We will fight to the end to defend what we have built with legitimacy, hard work and love for Brazilian coffee. ​What is at stake is not just coffee++. We are defending the sovereignty of Brazilian brands,” said Leonardo Montesanto, CEO and partner of Coffee++.

Coffee++ has been the legitimate owner of the brand since 2020 “for products in the coffee segment”, it is specified.

Coffee++ is preparing for its international expansion and will participate in the Dubai and Paris trade fairs in 2026, but faces “an attempt to eliminate it from one of the largest companies in the world”, it says.

Nestlé did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Coffee++ has already registered its trademark in more than 30 countries, including the European Union, Japan and Argentina, and is in the process of registering it elsewhere, he added.

The Brazilian company initially tried to resolve the matter ‍amicably⁠, but to no avail, it said. In lieu of a resolution, Nestlé filed a lawsuit on September 24 seeking to invalidate the Coffee++ trademark in Brazil, the company said.

“We will continue to act with transparency and determination, taking all necessary legal measures to protect what is rightfully ours,” Montesanto said.

(Reporting by Roberto Samora in Sao Paulo; writing by Oliver Griffin; editing by Matthew Lewis)