Judge Slashes Beyond Meat’s Damages by $23.4M in Dunkin’ Trademark Lawsuit

A judge in Massachusetts has reduced Beyond Meat’s financial liability in a trademark lawsuit over a Dunkin’ ad, slashing $23.4 million from the $38.9 million originally awarded by a jury last year. The jury found Beyond Meat liable for infringing a trademark owned by Sonate, doing business as Vegadelphia Foods.

The lawsuit stemmed from Beyond Meat's partnership with Dunkin' in 2019, where they promoted the Beyond Sausage sandwich with the tagline “Great Taste, Plant-Based” - a slogan that had been trademarked by Vegadelphia. Despite Beyond Meat's argument that the slogans accurately described its products and wouldn't cause confusion, the jury ruled in favor of Vegadelphia. After the judge reduced the damages owed to $15.44 million, Beyond Meat is still facing financial challenges as it tries to turn around its shrinking revenue and struggling stock price through diversifying its product offerings.