Summary
Oatly, a company that makes plant-based drinks, lost a legal battle in the UK about using the word "milk" in its marketing. The UK Supreme Court decided that Oatly cannot use the term "post-milk generation" to describe its products. This decision is based on rules saying that "milk" should only be used for animal-based products.
Key Facts
- Oatly cannot use "oat milk" or "post-milk generation" in its marketing.
- The UK Supreme Court and several other courts made this decision.
- Dairy UK argued that the term "milk" must only describe animal-derived products.
- The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) had earlier denied Oatly the trademark.
- Similar rulings align with the EU's stance against using "milk" for non-animal products.
- Oatly may now use terms like "dairy-free" strictly for factual information.
- European farmers claim such terms can mislead consumers and impact their industry.
- The decision aligns with strict EU and UK dairy term regulations.
