Did You Know... Nestlé has failed to convince European judges that the shape of its KitKat bar merits a trademark? In an attempt to register the shape of the bar as a trademark, Nestlé had to show that the shape of the KitKat bar is distinctive enough for consumers to rely on alone to identify it. While Nestlé claimed 90% of it is consumers associate the shape with KitKat, the EU court said that trademark protection can’t be given if a shape ‘contains three essential features, one of which results from the nature of the goods themselves and two of which are necessary to obtain a technical result’.
Did You Know... Magazines Ireland has welcomed the changes to the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) Code of Standards for Advertising and Marketing in Ireland, which include new guidelines on the advertising of e-cigarettes, food advertising, alcoholic promotions and the use of children in adverts? “Magazines Ireland has always advocated responsible advertising and our members have worked closely with the advertising industry and with other interested parties to make sure the ASAI Code of Standards is upheld," said Magazines Ireland chairperson Rebecca Markey.
Did You Know... Roslevan Shopping Centre, which is about two kilometres from the centre of Ennis in Clare, has come on the market with a guide price of €2 million, with joint agents CBRE and Costelloe Estate Agents? The complex currently produces a rent roll of €233,930 from nine retail and other commercial units. The centre is anchored by Liddy’s Costcutter Supermarket and Fine Wines, and is located in a thriving neighbourhood.
Did You Know... Last week, Revenue seized 17,400 cigarettes from a man who had landed on a flight from Munich? Revenue officers seized Marlboro Gold and L&M cigarettes with an estimated retail value of more than €8,800. More than €260,000 was also seized from four Irish residents arriving from the United Arab Emirates, for which Revenue has granted a three-month detention order.
Did You Know... A new €1 million marketing campaign has been launched to help boost potato sales among Irish consumers? Bord Bia will manage the three-year campaign, which aims to dispel the myth the potatoes are fattening, and position them as a naturally fat-free, tasty and versatile food. According to Kantar Worldpanel, retail sales of fresh potatoes in Ireland declined by one third between 2002 and 2014.
Did You Know... Scientists from Korea University have determined that expensive liquid antibacterial soap is no better at killing bacteria than plain soap? The study investigated how good triclosan, a commonly used antiseptic ingredient in soap, is at killing a range of bacteria. It found that while antibacterial soap is more effective after nine hours of exposure, it is no better than regular soap in the average amount of time it takes to wash hands.
Did You Know... According to The Irish Times, discounter Lidl won’t say whether it will pay its staff in the Republic of Ireland the full living wage, as it announced it would in Britain? Last week, it became the first supermarket chain to sign up to Britain’s higher wage campaign, promising to pay staff at least £8.20 an hour in most of the UK, and £9.35 an hour in London.
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