RIGA-VILNIUS - A Lithuanian pastry producer is planning to seek compensation from a Latvian confectionery for using its trademarked slogan. Vitalija Freitakaite, director of Javine, a pasty producer based in Klaipeda, said the company has suffered since Laima, Latvia's confectionery, used a similar advertisement slogan when trying to sell its Selga cookies in Lithuania.
Laima spokesman Krisjanis Liepins explained that on May 12, Laima received a complaint from Javine about the slogan "No Visas Sirds" (from the bottom of my heart) that the Latvian company had been using in Lithuania. Javine asked Laima to stop using the slogan by May 19, and the confectionery began using a new slogan 's "No Sirds uz Sirdi" (from heart to heart), the spokesman said.
Laima marketing director Indra Ozola accused Javine of causing a media controversy after the Latvian company "satisfied the demand."
Freitakaite said the company would claim damages from Laima, even though Javine had failed to win compensation in similar lawsuits. "The Latvian company's explanation that they did not know that this slogan, which we have been widely using, is trademarked is hardly convincing. It is obvious that their TV ad was targeted to the Lithuanian market," Freitakaite said.
"Anyhow, not knowing does not exempt you from responsibility," she added.
In Freitakaite's words, the Lithuanian market is small and the creation of brand names and commercial slogans is costly.
Javine was established in 1948. The company employs 130 people, and its annual turnover tops 10 million litas (2.8 million euros).
