The eco-friendly pet brand Piddle Patch, which rose to national prominence following an appearance on Dragons’ Den, has won a significant trademark infringement case in the UK courts after a judge ruled that a rival company deliberately attempted to profit from its brand recognition.
District Judge Obodai ruled in favour of Makeality Ltd, the company behind the Piddle Patch brand, in a dispute with City Doggo Ltd and its founder Laurencia Walker-Fooks. The case was heard on the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) small claims track at the High Court.
The judge concluded that the defendants had deliberately attempted to benefit from the Piddle Patch trademark and associated goodwill, stating that their actions were part of a coordinated attempt to exploit the brand’s market presence.
In the written judgement, Judge Obodai said the defendants’ conduct was not accidental but formed part of a “deliberate policy to promote the sign in the relevant market”. He added that “passing off is exactly what she intended when she began her campaign of infringement”.
Piddle Patch was created by entrepreneur Rebecca Sloan, who launched the product as a sustainable alternative to disposable puppy training pads. The product uses real grass to provide an eco-friendly indoor toilet solution for dogs, particularly popular with urban pet owners.
Support authors and subscribe to content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.
