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Hi-Spirits and Global Brands settle sambuca lawsuit
UK distributor Hi-Spirits has agreed a confidential settlement in the UK High Court after taking legal action against a sambuca brand which breached EU law.
Following a lawsuit over Opal sambuca’s abv, Hi-Spirits and brand-owner Global Brands have agreed a settlement
Hi-Spirits and Italian distiller Antiche sued fellow UK distributor Global Brands and distiller Fratelli Francoli in relation to its Opal sambuca range.
The complainants said that the sambuca’s 30% abv breached EU law, which requires products labelled as sambuca to be bottled at a minimum of 38% abv.
Opal sambuca launched in 2011, while Hi-Spirits launched its own brand Antica Sambuca, a 38% abv Italian sambuca distilled by Antiche, in the UK in 2004.
The company’s legal complaint was “based on extended passing off the legal principle under which a misrepresentation by one party in relation to a category of products causes harm to another’s goodwill”.
Hi-Spirits said that it “welcomed” the confidential settlement with Global Brands and Fratelli Francoli.
“We are pleased with the outcome, although we obviously regret the need to bring legal proceedings,” said Dan Bolton, managing director of Hi-Spirits.
“In partnership with Antiche, w e have worked hard over the past decade to establish the Antica Sambuca brand and bring sambuca as a category into the mainstream of the UK spirits market.
“We are committed to protecting both the Antica Sambuca brand and the sambuca category generally.”