B&M files High Court claim against Morrisons over copyright allegations

B&M has initiated legal proceedings against the high street supermarket chain Morrisons at the High Court, according to the company.

Details of the High Court claim

According to court records, the claim was filed on Thursday against Morrisons and Simon Buckley, who is identified on the Morrisons website as a senior buyer of general merchandise. The case type is listed as a "copyright and design right," though no further details regarding the specific documents or the nature of the claim have been made available.

A spokesperson for B&M stated: "B&M has commenced legal proceedings against Morrisons in relation to allegations of intellectual property infringement and breach of confidence."

"We invest significantly in developing our products and protecting our confidential business information and will take appropriate action where we believe those rights have been infringed."

"As the matter is now before the courts, it would not be appropriate to comment further."

Morrisons declined to comment on the matter. A hearing in the case has not yet taken place.

Previous legal action involving B&M

This legal action follows a separate lawsuit filed against B&M earlier this year by The Skinny Food Co. That legal action, which was launched in February, seeks at least £13.8million in damages for alleged breaches by B&M.

In that case, The Skinny Food Co alleged that B&M stopped purchasing products from the supplier as "retaliation" for a breakdown in an investment bid. According to court documents, George Spalton KC, representing Skinny, stated: "B&M's decision to de-list Skinny was motivated at least by the breakdown of the negotiations between (Arora) and Skinny in respect of the proposed investment by the Arora family in Skinny, and by Arora's desire to make good his threats to 'ruin' Skinny."

Mr. Spalton KC further claimed that B&M "repeatedly assured" Skinny that it could "have confidence in B&M as a trading partner", requested "exclusivity in respect of certain product lines" and "sought to dissuade Skinny from dealing with B&M's competitors."

The barrister alleged these actions led to Skinny stopping "pursuing opportunities" with Home Bargains and led the company to purchase machinery worth more than £235,000 to serve anticipated demand for B&M products. A hearing regarding the claim from The Skinny Food Co is also yet to take place.

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Sources

• uk.finance.yahoo.com: B&M takes Morrisons to High Court over copyright infringement
• darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk: B&M suing Morrisons at High Court over copyright row | Darlington and Stockton Times

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.