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NEWS
New Efrat Grape Juice to be Repackaged
By R. Gil
Tel Aviv District Court Vice President Yehuda Zefet
reprimanded Efrat Wineries, one of Israel's oldest wine and
grape juice producers and the founder of the first winery in
Eretz Yisroel.
Zefet issued instructions to remove their one-liter grape
juice bottles just days after they reached the store shelves,
based on a claim by Carmel Wineries that the Efrat label and
packaging (that is, the bottle) was deceptively close to the
longstanding label and packaging on Carmel's grape juice.
Though Efrat pointed out various differences between the two
bottles and labels, Judge Zefet decided, "The packaging is
almost identical ... " He rejected a request to delay the
court order by 48 hours and instructed the company to recall
all of the bottles within three days.
Efrat CEO Motti Tepperberg says that Efrat had no intention
of any wrongdoing in releasing the new bottle design, which
was imported from Italy. The bottle "is longer and narrower
and has a label that is different in and of itself, and in
our opinion the product is tastier and more attractive. We
worked with legal [consultants] from one of the leading firms
in the area of intellectual property and we will honor the
court's ruling. We are flattered that Carmel Mizrachi sees us
as a competitor against its strongest product and their
reaction indicates a certain panic. Be'ezrat Hashem we
will carry out the exchange in time and be on the shelves
before the holiday."
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