Parodies of well-known brands pop up regularly. When these cases escalate, the defence often centres around freedom of expression or the idea that it’s a legitimate parody. However, European trademark law (currently) does not recognize a parody exception. This makes sense, as such cases are often about gaining commercial advantage by piggybacking on a famous brand.

Almost every supermarket has its own private label. These stores often go to great lengths to make their private labels look strikingly similar to their A-list counterparts. After all, why not ride the coattails of the big names? Lidl, for example, has built a reputation for making its house brands look suspiciously like their A-brand rivals. Recently, they've given their soft drink line, Freeway, a makeover. The standout? The orange soda bottle, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the iconic Fanta bottle. From the color to the round shape evoking an orange, the fonts, the shadowing (in dark blue no less), and the little leaf attached to the letters—it's hard not to notice the similarities. But the big question is: Is this even legal? And, if not, what can be done to prevent it?