A US federal judge has ordered Impossible Foods to cover the legal fees of influencer Joel Runyon and his company, Impossible HQ, following the entrepreneur's $3.25M trademark victory in March. The plant-based meat giant was found to have wilfully and maliciously infringed on two of Runyon's registered trademarks after nearly five years of legal disputes. The court ruled that Impossible Foods' defense was weak and its conduct was deemed willful.

The judge granted Impossible HQ injunctive relief, preventing Impossible Foods from using the standalone term 'Impossible' without additional visible words or symbols on certain materials. Runyon had initially used the 'Impossible' name for his lifestyle and fitness blog before transitioning it into a business and registering federal trademarks. The legal battle between the two companies began in 2021, with the recent ruling marking the second intellectual property case that Impossible Foods has lost in recent years.