PepsiCo Loses Brazil Similarity Dispute Over “Doritos” Brand Name

Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice on June 23 ruled against PepsiCo in a case involving the company’s Doritos brand name.

PepsiCo claimed that a Brazilian company was using a name similar to Doritos for a similar product called Douraditos and asked the court to suspend use of the Brazilian brand. According to PepsiCo, the similarity of the two names could cause consumers to buy Douraditos thinking they were purchasing Doritos.

The court, however, rejected this position, upholding a lower court ruling in favor of the Brazilian company, M. Dias Branco, one of the country’s leading producers of snack foods, cookies ...