Kroger Drops Suit Against Lidl

Cincinnati-based Kroger, the biggest supermarket operator in the US, has dropped its trademark infringement lawsuit against German rival Lidl. Few details of the settlement were made public. Lidl will continue to offer its Preferred Selection brand with the same logo, both of which were at issue. Kroger claimed the brand was too similar to its Private Selection brand and could cause confusion in the marketplace. A July ruling against Kroger’s request for a preliminary injunction didn’t bode well for the plaintiff. The judge said he didn’t find that the two names have identical or similar meanings and that Kroger wasn’t able to show that a significant number of customers identified the Private Selection brand and label with Kroger.