Unilever

are taking a local ice cream producer to court over a product that it claims is remarkably similar to its own product.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The British-Dutch giant has taken legal action accusing Moscow firm Metelitsa of trademark infringement of its Viennetta ice cream cake. Metelista markets a similar rectangular cake consisting of thin layers of chocolate between folds of vanilla ice cream. The Metelista product is sold in a similar designed box to Unilever’s with an almost identical name: Venetsiya.


Metelitsa have refuted Unilever’s claims arguing that the form of an ice-cream cake cannot be trademarked any more than the shape of a sausage.


Unilever petitioned the Anti-Monopoly Ministry a few months ago to close down production of Venetsiya. Rospatent, the government trademark agency, found in favour of Unilever, but Metelista have begun efforts to cancel the registration of the trademark Viennetta in response.


It will argue that the appearance of a product cannot be copyrighted. It also intends to argue that the cakes resemble each other because they are made by virtually the same Tetra Pak equipment.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact