Pepsi to Change Life Water Packaging in Glaceau Settlement
PepsiCo, Inc. has agreed to change the look of its new Life Water drink to settle a lawsuit filed last month by Energy Brand claiming that the Life Water packaging looked a bit too much like its Vitaminwater.
Last Thursday, the judge in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where the case was filed April 5, encouraged the two companies to settle, Glaceau said in a statement (Xtra, April 7).
“We respect that Pepsi agreed to change Life Water’s trade dress,” said Glaceau founder and CEO J. Darius Bikoff, in a statement. “This reaffirms that imitation is no substitute for innovation.”
PepsiCo said the settlement was reached amicably, according to Pepsi spokesperson Michelle Naughton.
Vitaminwater, a colored water, is packaged in 20-ounce wide-mouthed clear bottles. Life Water, sold under the SoBe brand, is also colored water packaged in wide-mouth plastic bottles.
In March, SoBe introduced SoBe Life Water, a line of vitamin-enhanced water beverages that contain vitamins C and E as well as members of the vitamin B complex. The beverage is available in five flavors.
Vitaminwater has been on the market since 2000.
