Copycat Brands Face EU Scrutiny

Hypermarkets, supermarkets and other format retailers that produce private label products that resemble established brands and their respective products, will face closer scrutiny and potential financial penalties after a European Commission report accuses them of “parasitic copying”.

Investigations in 27 member states and 6 nations had deeper look, found that treatment and laws against lookalike brands are inconsistent across the EU and could amount to a barrier to trade between member states.