For years, our own Boloco has sold a Nutella milkshake. Soon, no more. Seems Big Hazelnut objects to the use of the name, to the point of threatening legal action, so Boloco's now looking for alternative, preferably locally sourced, hazelnut spreads.
Andrew Sellars, a lawyer, explains why Boloco could actually have a case, although he allows as how it's probably not worth all the trouble - and legal fees. Still, he adds:
[W]hen I was in Boloco today (field research!) I couldn't help but see the dozens of jars of Nutella in the back, and thinking about the dozen-or-so other locations around Boston with similar stacks of Nutella jars. Those will be replaced by a competitor's product, in a chain that seems to be growing with each passing month. Not to mention the thousands of Bostonians who have heard about this case and will naturally root for the local guy; you get the feeling that this whole experience is going to leave a bitter taste in their mouths.