Aldi says Cuthbert the Caterpillar is ‘free’ after lawsuit settlement

The dispute had been going on since last spring

Marks & Spencer and Aldi have reached an agreement in their copyright row over caterpillar cakes. Last year, M&S accused the German supermarket of copying its iconic Colin the Caterpillar cake. Aldi initially stopped selling Cuthbert the Caterpillar, in February 2021, with M&S launching legal action in April. They accused Aldi of infringing on its Colin the Caterpillar trademark. However both supermarkets confirmed on Wednesday that they had reached a confidential agreement on the case, ending the dispute. The two retailers reached an out of court settlement on November 5 last year, according to the Telegraph. Both have declined to comment on the terms involved. An M&S spokesman said: "The objective of the claim was to protect the [intellectual property] in our Colin the Caterpillar cake and we are very pleased with the outcome." Aldi Stores UK said in a tweet: "Getting out early on good behaviour, keep an eye out for Cuthy B this spring." https://twitter.com/AldiUK/status/1488529958129524746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1488529958129524746%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fbusiness-60223220 An Aldi spokesperson said: "Cuthbert is free and looking forward to seeing all his fans again very soon." However the tense relationship between the two retail giants isn't over just yet. M&S has since launched another claim against Aldi over its Christmas gin liqueur which featured edible gold flakes.