Swiss bitter over bank’s chocolate bar

The Bank of England is the latest big name to become involved in a copycat packaging dispute, after receiving a warning from a Swiss chocolate company.

Goldkenn, which makes Gold Bar chocolates packaged to look like gold ingots, has warned it will take legal action if the bank does not stop selling a similarly packaged product from its gift shop in London’s Threadneedle Street.

David Llewelyn, a partner at law firm Llewelyn Zietman, which is representing Goldkenn, says his client has registered the design of a two-part, gold bar-shaped box for chocolate use, and that anybody else using it is passing off their products as those of Goldkenn.

Solicitors for the Bank of England have acknowledged receipt of the warning, but the bank has not yet decided what action to take. The Swiss group has previously fought – and won – similar actions in several other countries.