Mondelēz International, the owner of Cadbury and Toblerone, has initiated a trademark dispute with Moo Free, a small vegan chocolate manufacturer, over the use of the term “Snowballs” for confectionery products. The multinational company sent a legal letter accusing Moo Free of trademark infringement regarding its White Choccy Snowballs, which are gluten-free biscuit-flavoured rice balls coated in dairy-free white chocolate.
Cadbury’s Snowballs brand carries significant history in the UK market, having been introduced in 1966. The company registered its trademark for the terms Snowball and Snowballs in chocolate confectionery in 2001. The current iteration of the product, marketed as Mini Snow Balls since 2023, consists of Dairy Milk chocolate wrapped in a white icing sugar shell. Moo Free, which was founded in 2010 by Mike Jessop and his wife as a response to the lack of allergen-free chocolate options, has been selling its version for approximately two years. The company’s products are stocked in multiple major supermarkets and online retailers.
Moo Free has disputed the trademark claim, with Jessop expressing surprise at what he characterized as heavy-handed action from Mondelēz, particularly given the timing just before the Christmas shopping period. He questioned whether a generic term like “snowball” could be trademarked and noted he was unfamiliar with the Cadbury product. In a statement to customers, Moo Free indicated it does not accept that infringement has been established and expressed solidarity with Catherine’s Originals, another small vegan chocolate brand facing separate legal action from Mondelēz over its O’bar product.
Mondelēz stated that no formal legal action has been taken but that it notified Moo Free of its trademark rights. A company spokesperson indicated openness to reaching an amicable settlement while emphasizing that Cadbury Snow Balls rank among its most popular Christmas products in the UK. This dispute follows a historical precedent in which competing manufacturers successfully established their own VAT-free classification for snowball confections in 2014.
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