The world’s most popular YouTuber and philanthropist Jimmy Donaldson, commonly known as MrBeast, is facing legal hurdles over the branding of one of his candy bars. A recent lawsuit has resulted in a setback for MrBeast’s Feastables brand after a judge ordered a halt to the use of the name ‘Deez Nutz’ due to having a similar name to another snack company.
Deez Nutz vs. Dee’s Nuts legal battle
Months after Feastables revealed its Deez Nutz chocolate bar, a Jacksonville-based peanut company named Dee’s Nuts filed a lawsuit against them for trademark infringement. The company argued that Feastables’ Deez Nutz bars were almost identical to its brand, which had been in the market for over a decade.
Brian Ditore, founder of Dee’s Nuts company, has held the trademark for the name since 2012.
Ditore had already filed a cease-and-desist request at Feastables, but the company only responded that it would continue to use the Deez Nutz branding.
MrBeast’s team argued that many people use Deez Nutz as a funny phrase on the internet, claiming that the term’s origin traced back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 album, “The Chronic.” Despite these arguments, the court ruled in favor of Dee’s Nuts.
The court favors Dee’s Nuts
A U.S. District Court judge granted a permanent injunction against Feastables on December 6 that prohibits the use of Deez Nutz on its chocolate bars. Feastables is “permanently enjoined from manufacturing, or causing to be manufactured, purchasing, importing, exporting, advertising, marketing, distributing, offering for sale, selling or commercially exploiting in any manner, snack foods bearing the Dee’s Nuts Mark, and/or reproductions, counterfeits, copies or colorable imitations thereof, including but not limited to, the DEEZ NUTZ mark,” the final order reads.
As of December 15, people can still purchase Deez Nutz bars on the Feastables website, with many predicting that this bar will become a collector’s item.
Image courtesy: MrBeast
