Are the Keebler Elves the Cookie Monster? According to Kraft Foods (parent company of Mondelēz International and Nabisco, makers of Oreos®, Chips Ahoy®, and Fig Newtons®), the Keebler elves were found with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar. Kraft filed suit on January 16, 2013 alleging that Kellogg Co. (parent of Keebler), is infringing its "snack 'n seal" patent, U.S. Patent no. 6,918,532* covering a resealable cookie container.
The patent covers the "crowd pleasing" feature of a cookie container with top, resealable opening verses the conventional container with crimped end opening. In the "old school" cookie containers with crimped and twisted end, one had to painstakingly, uncrimp and untwist one end of the container, withdraw the cookie tray, remove one or more cookies and then tediously, return the tray to its original, completely, in wrapper position, and then re-twist the crimped end. With the patented resealable opening, one effortlessly pulls back on a tab to withdraw a resealable flap from the top of the container, grabs one or more cookies from the tray inside, and gently returns the flap to its original, sealed position on top of the cookie container.
(* With full disclosure, my firm was responsible for drafting and prosecuting the patent application through the U.S. patent office.)
© Stephen J. Weyer, Stites & Harbison, PLLC, 2013
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