economy
How a DIY Adobe Illustrator design landed Rebel Creamery in a $23.8 million fight with Van Leeuwen
Rebel Creamery’s founders say they designed the company’s logo and ice cream pint packaging themselves in Adobe Illustrator. But that DIY branding design landed them in a nearly $24 million legal dispute.
TL;DR
- Rebel Creamery filed for bankruptcy following a legal ruling that ordered them to pay Van Leeuwen Ice Cream nearly $24 million for trade-dress infringement.
- The dispute centers on Rebel Creamery's packaging, which a judge found intentionally copied Van Leeuwen's minimalist design with cursive lettering.
- Evidence included consumer mix-ups, employee confusion, and the fact that both brands are sold in the same stores and often placed side-by-side.
- Rebel Creamery claims their founders designed the logo and packaging themselves in Adobe Illustrator in late 2017 and were unaware of Van Leeuwen's similar design at the time.
- Van Leeuwen's trade dress was developed by the design studio Pentagram, which kept detailed records that were used as evidence in court.
- Rebel Creamery has appealed the ruling, and a spokesperson stated their products remain widely available.