Groupe Danone’s secretary general Philippe-Loic Jacob is joining the board of Britannia Industries in an attempt to protect its interest in the company. Danone has been battling its Indian partner Nusli Wadia over an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issue for over a year now.
The relationship between Danone and Wadia turned sour about 18 months ago when Britannia alleged that the French partner had employed its Tiger trademark in overseas markets without the Britannia’s consent.
The Tiger brand accounts for 30 per cent of Britannia’s sales. Britannia chairman Wadia said, “We have filed legal suits against Danone in Singapore and Malaysia courts. Our aim is to pursue the return of the Tiger IPR.”