A US judge on Monday rejected Ben & Jerry’s attempt to stop its parent Unilever Plc ULVR.L from allowing its ice cream to be sold in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), which Ben & Jerry’s said undermined its values.
US District Judge Andrew Carter in Manhattan said Ben & Jerry’s did not deserve an injunction to halt ice cream sales and marketing because it did not show it would suffer irreparable harm, or that customers would be confused.
Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever on July 5, saying the sale of its Israeli business to local licensee Avi Zinger violated the agreement under which Unilever bought the Burlington, Vermont-based company in 2000.
The sale came nearly a year after Ben & Jerry’s decided to end sales in the West Bank, saying it was “inconsistent” with the values and social mission it retained the right to promote.
Related Articles: