Takis acts against rival

Move follows court victory in its nine-year battle to protect its trademarks in SA.

- Ciaran Ryan

Takis Biltong attached 89 South African trademarks of snack foods rival Grupo Bimbo, the Mexican-registered food giant with annual revenue of $22.8 billion (R407 billion) last week, after it failed to pay legal costs accumulated in a nineyear battle over trademark rights.

It took Grupo Bimbo to court to stop it from selling tortilla chips in South Africa under the brand Takis Fuego.

The High Court in Pretoria decided in favour of Takis Biltong in December last year, overturning an earlier decision by the same court, and ordered the registration of the trademark Takis Fuego be cancelled on the grounds that the use of the name "Takis" was likely to cause confusion in the minds of consumers.

That decision was challenged by Grupo Bimbo in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), which again decided in favour of the South African company. Despite this, Takis Fuego products continue to be sold countrywide in violation of the court order.