Trending

The M&S vs Aldi ‘copycat’ caterpillar cake war has finally been settled

Both supermarket giants have confirmed earlier that a deal has been struck in the High Court.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 3rd February 2022

M&S and Aldi have finally reached a settlement in a copyright dispute over the design of their caterpillar cakes.

Who can forget the whole Colin the Caterpillar fiasco that went down last year?

In case you do need your memory jogging, all the way back in April 2021, leading retailer Marks & Spencer decided to launch legal action against Aldi over the iconic Colin the Caterpillar cake, claiming that the budget supermarket’s own larvae dessert – Cuthbert the Caterpillar – was just too similar and infringes its trademark.

It was a case that blew up on social media, with plenty of other well-known supermarkets and retailers showing their support after Aldi launched its own #FreeCuthbert campaign.

Read more: M&S is suing Aldi over Colin the Caterpillar cake

ADVERTISEMENT

After the rollercoaster case began to die down a bit, Aldi made the bold move to start selling its caterpillar cake once again in May after making some slight changes to its design, and now, both supermarket giants have confirmed earlier this week that a deal has been struck.

Deputy Master Timothy John Bowles has today signed off an agreement in a consent order filed at the High Court.

ADVERTISEMENT

The order – which was first reported by The Telegraph – allowed the claim to be withdrawn and said the retailers had reached a “confidential agreement” in November.

In true comical Aldi style, the supermarket confirmed the settlement and teased Cuthbert the Caterpillar’s imminent return on Twitter saying: “Getting out early on good behaviour, keep an eye out for Cuthy B this Spring.”

Speaking more formally on the order this week, an M&S spokesman said: “The objective of the claim was to protect the intellectual property in our Colin the Caterpillar cake and we are very pleased with the outcome.”, while an Aldi spokesperson added: “Cuthbert is free and looking forward to seeing all his fans again very soon.”

ADVERTISEMENT
M&S and Aldi have finally reached a settlement in a copyright dispute over the design of their caterpillar cakes / Credit: Aldi UK

Matters here may have drawn nicely to a close, but the tensions between the two retailers still remain high.

This is because, back in December 2021, it was revealed that M&S is once again launching legal action against Aldi and has accused the retailer copying the design of one of it’s most popular festive products – a Christmas gin liqueur with gold flakes.

Read more: M&S is suing Aldi again for ‘copying’ – and this time it’s over festive gin

The M&S spokesperson added on the case: “Like many other UK businesses, large and small, we know the true value and cost of innovation and the enormous time, passion, creativity, energy and attention to detail, that goes into designing, developing and bringing a product to market and building its brand over many years.

“So it is understandable that we want to defend our intellectual property and protect our suppliers – many of them small businesses that have worked with us for decades.”

Featured Image – M&S

Trending

Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.

Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?

Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.

These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.

Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.

On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.

Tut-tut.

Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)

It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.

Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.

“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”

He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.

Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.

“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – AA

Trending

Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’ not Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Paddy McGuinness has admitted that he believes “Bolton still falls under Lancashire” and not Greater Manchester.

The famous comedian and TV presenter – who was born and raised in Farnworth in 1973, back when it genuinely was still categorised as Lancashire – made the somewhat controversial declaration to his millions of followers on Instagram this week as he shared some pictures of himself that are currently featuring as part of a photography exhibition.

McGuinness is one of dozens of local famous faces forming part of the ‘Greater Mancunians’ project by The Manchester College.

150 students have participated in the landmark photography project – which is currently on display down at Manchester Central Library’s Main Exhibition Hall – and it features images of some of Manchester’s most famous and influential people shot at numerous locations across the city.

Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Ricky Hatton, Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Maxine Peake, Jonathan Warburton, and Professor Erinma Bell MBE are among the 100 contributors featured in the project, alongside McGuinness.

The 50-year-old, who is most well-known for his acting and presenting roles in Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, Take Me Out, and Top Gear, says it was “a real honour” to be featured in the exhibition.

McGuinness wrote on Instagram: “It was a real honour to take part in the Greater Mancunians project with the students at The Manchester College. The exhibition is full of people from music, comedy, politics, poetry, television, medicine and beyond.”

He then said it’s “well worth popping in if you’re in town”, before dropping the final Bolton-related bombshell: “PS, I’m still saying Bolton falls under Lancashire.”

In case you’re unfamiliar with the borough’s history, Bolton was considered to be a part of Lancashire until Greater Manchester was formally established all the way back on 1 April 1974 – but still to this day, the town is located within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.

Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’, not Greater Manchester (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

After making the bold claim about Bolton’s geographical location, McGuinness has been met with praise and has received hundreds of comments from other Bolton and wider Greater Manchester residents agreeing with him and sharing their similar opinions under the post.

“I think they should redefine Lancashire back to its old borders, it would bring unity to the area and create a northern powerhouse,” one person commented.

Another fan wrote: “Bolton will always be in Lancashire for me”, while a third commented: “ALWAYS Lancashire. Can’t move land boundaries, they’re not pieces of paper,” a fourth shared a similar sentiment: “They can tell us we’re Greater Manchester, but I know Im a Lancashire lass,” and a fifth added: “Lancashire all the way lad.”

“BOLTON WILL ALWAYS BE LANCASHIRE,” another clearly strong-viewed comment reads.

Read more:

It’s always very ‘Stockport is Cheshire‘, isn’t it?

What’s your take then? Do you think Bolton is still in Lancashire, or is it part of Greater Manchester? What about the rest of the boroughs?

We know full well we may have opened a can of worms with this one but that’s all part of the fun.

Featured Images – BBC

More Trending

BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball with her beloved mum Julia Peckham. Credit: Instagram @thezoeball

News

Zoe Ball announces death of her ‘dear mama’ just weeks after cancer diagnosis

Cheshire

Inside the Grade I-listed Cheshire mansion currently on the market for an eye-watering £11.4m

Trending

New narrators to take over from Sir David Attenborough for special episode of Planet Earth III

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches