Thatchers, a cider maker from Somerset, is in a legal fight with Aldi, a German discount store, over a trademark issue. Thatchers says that Aldi has copied their Cloudy Lemon Cider in both taste and appearance with their Taurus cider. Thatchers believes that Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage by copying their product. The trial started in London on Thursday.

Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider came out in February 2020, while Aldi’s Taurus brand was launched in May 2022. Thatchers’ lawyers argue that the way Aldi has branded their drink makes people think it’s connected to Thatchers. In an interesting move, Martin Howe KC, who represents Thatchers, has asked Judge Mellissa Clarke to do a blind taste test to see how similar the two ciders are.

Thatchers says that they put a lot of work into developing their Cloudy Lemon Cider. They did market research, got feedback, and tested it a lot. They spent £3 million on marketing between 2020 and 2022. On the other hand, Aldi’s Taurus cider has sold well without much investment in development or marketing. Thatchers thinks that Aldi’s success is only because of their investment in the Thatchers product.

Aldi, on the other hand, says that they didn’t do anything wrong and that their product is different from Thatchers’. They say that the branding, like the name and logo, makes it clear that it’s not the same as Thatchers. They think that the most important part of Thatchers’ trademark is the name, and everything else is not as important.

This isn’t the first time Aldi has been in a trademark dispute. Earlier this year, they lost a court case against Marks and Spencer over accusations of copying their Christmas gin bottles that light up. The trial between Thatchers and Aldi is still going on, and a decision will be made later.

Original news source: Judge invited to taste test cider in Aldi row (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Choose vocabulary words from the article and write them on separate pieces of paper. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word without looking. They must then act out the word without speaking, and their team must guess what word they are acting out. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. They should try to include key details and important information. After each summary, the partner can ask questions or request clarification. Then, they will switch roles and repeat the process.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article, such as “Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider is better than Aldi’s Taurus cider” or “Aldi’s branding is misleading.” Divide the class into small groups and give each group a copy of the statements. Students will discuss each statement and indicate whether they agree or disagree by raising their hand or using a thumbs up/down. After discussing each statement, the groups can share their opinions with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a list of vocabulary words from the article and write them on separate pieces of paper. Divide the class into small groups and give each group a set of the vocabulary words. One student from each group will select a word and draw a picture to represent it, without using any letters or numbers. The other students in the group must guess the word based on the drawing. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns making predictions about the outcome of the trial between Thatchers and Aldi. They should consider the arguments presented in the article and use modal verbs to express probability, such as “Thatchers will probably win because…” or “Aldi might have a chance if…” After discussing their predictions, they can share their opinions with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the legal issue between Thatchers and Aldi?
2. How does Thatchers believe Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage?
3. When did Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider come out?
4. What interesting request did Thatchers’ representative make to the judge?
5. How much money did Thatchers spend on marketing their Cloudy Lemon Cider?
6. Why does Thatchers believe Aldi’s success is due to their investment in their own product?
7. What does Aldi say about their product and its differences from Thatchers’?
8. What happened in a previous trademark dispute involving Aldi?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Thatchers, a (1)______ maker from Somerset, is in a legal fight with Aldi, a German (2)______ store, over a trademark issue. Thatchers says that Aldi has copied their Cloudy Lemon Cider in both (3)______ and appearance with their Taurus cider. Thatchers believes that Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage by copying their product. The trial started in London on (4)______.

Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider came out in February 2020, while Aldi’s Taurus brand was launched in May 2022. Thatchers’ (5)______ argue that the way Aldi has branded their drink makes people think it’s connected to Thatchers. In an interesting move, Martin Howe KC, who represents Thatchers, has asked (6)______ Mellissa Clarke to do a blind taste test to see how (7)______ the two ciders are.

Thatchers says that they put a lot of work into developing their Cloudy Lemon Cider. They did market (8)______, got feedback, and tested it a lot. They spent £3 million on (9)______ between 2020 and 2022. On the other hand, Aldi’s Taurus cider has sold well without much investment in development or marketing. Thatchers thinks that Aldi’s success is only because of their investment in the Thatchers (10)______.

Aldi, on the other hand, says that they didn’t do anything (11)______ and that their product is (12)______ from Thatchers’. They say that the branding, like the name and logo, makes it clear that it’s not the same as (13)______. They think that the most important part of Thatchers’ trademark is the name, and everything else is not as important.

This isn’t the first time Aldi has been in a trademark dispute. Earlier this year, they lost a court case against (14)______ and Spencer over (15)______ of (16)______ their Christmas gin bottles that light up. The trial between Thatchers and Aldi is still going on, and a decision will be made later.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. Have you ever tried cider before? If so, what did you think of it?
2. What do you think about the legal fight between Thatchers and Aldi?
3. How would you feel if someone copied your idea or product without giving you credit?
4. Do you think it’s fair for Aldi to copy Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider?
5. Why do you think Thatchers believes that Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage?
6. What do you think about the idea of doing a blind taste test to compare the two ciders?
7. Do you think the name and logo of a product are important for distinguishing it from others? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever bought a product because you thought it was connected to a different brand? If so, what was it?
9. How important do you think marketing and branding are for the success of a product?
10. Do you think Thatchers’ investment in the Cloudy Lemon Cider is the main reason for Aldi’s success with Taurus?
11. Why do you think Aldi believes that the name is the most important part of Thatchers’ trademark?
12. Have you ever been involved in a dispute or disagreement? How did you handle it?
13. What do you think about companies suing each other over trademark issues?
14. Do you think it’s common for companies to copy each other’s products? Why or why not?
15. If you were the judge in this case, how would you decide? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Thatchers
2. Aldi
3. trademark
4. cider
5. taste
6. appearance
7. investment
8. decision

Meanings:
(a) A type of alcoholic drink made from apples
(b) A company that makes cider in Somerset
(c) A judgment or ruling made by a court
(d) A symbol or logo that represents a brand
(e) Money or resources put into a project
(f) The way something looks or seems
(g) A discount store from Germany
(h) The flavor or flavor profile of a drink
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who is involved in the legal fight over a trademark issue?
(a) Thatchers and Marks and Spencer
(b) Aldi and Marks and Spencer
(c) Thatchers and Aldi
(d) Thatchers and Tesco

2. What does Thatchers accuse Aldi of doing?
(a) Copying their marketing strategy
(b) Copying their logo
(c) Copying their packaging design
(d) Copying their Cloudy Lemon Cider

3. When was Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider released?
(a) May 2022
(b) February 2020
(c) February 2022
(d) May 2020

4. What has Thatchers’ lawyer asked the judge to do?
(a) Conduct a blind taste test
(b) Conduct a blind smell test
(c) Conduct a blind sight test
(d) Conduct a blind touch test

5. How much money did Thatchers spend on marketing between 2020 and 2022?
(a) £5 million
(b) £1 million
(c) £2 million
(d) £3 million

6. How does Aldi argue that their product is different from Thatchers’?
(a) By stating that the taste is different
(b) By stating that the appearance is different
(c) By stating that the branding makes it clear
(d) By stating that the name is different

7. What was Aldi accused of copying in a previous court case?
(a) Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider
(b) Christmas gin bottles that light up
(c) Marks and Spencer’s logo
(d) Tesco’s packaging design

8. When will a decision be made in the trial between Thatchers and Aldi?
(a) Later
(b) Immediately
(c) Next week
(d) Next month

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. 1. Thatchers did not invest £3 million in marketing their Cloudy Lemon Cider between 2020 and 2022.
2. Thatchers claims that Aldi has copied their Cloudy Lemon Cider in taste and appearance with their Taurus cider.
3. 3. Thatchers does not believe that Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage by copying their product.
4. 2. The trial between Thatchers and Aldi did not start in London on Thursday.
5. Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider was released in February 2020, while Aldi’s Taurus brand was launched in May 2022.
6. Thatchers’ lawyers have asked the judge to do a blind taste test to compare the two ciders.
7. 4. Thatchers, a cider maker, is not in a legal fight with Aldi, a discount store, over a trademark issue.
8. Aldi argues that their product is different from Thatchers’ and that the branding makes it clear it’s not the same.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the disagreement between Thatchers and Aldi about?
2. When did Thatchers release their Cloudy Lemon Cider and when did Aldi release their Taurus cider?
3. Why does Thatchers believe that Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage?
4. What did Thatchers do to develop their Cloudy Lemon Cider?
5. How does Aldi argue that their product is different from Thatchers’?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the legal issue between Thatchers and Aldi?
Thatchers and Aldi are in a legal fight over a trademark issue.

2. How does Thatchers believe Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage?
Thatchers believes that Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage by copying their Cloudy Lemon Cider in both taste and appearance with their Taurus cider.

3. When did Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider come out?
Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider came out in February 2020.

4. What interesting request did Thatchers’ representative make to the judge?
Thatchers’ representative asked the judge to do a blind taste test to see how similar the two ciders are.

5. How much money did Thatchers spend on marketing their Cloudy Lemon Cider?
Thatchers spent £3 million on marketing their Cloudy Lemon Cider between 2020 and 2022.

6. Why does Thatchers believe Aldi’s success is due to their investment in their own product?
Thatchers believes that Aldi’s success is only because of their investment in the Thatchers product, as Aldi’s Taurus cider has sold well without much investment in development or marketing.

7. What does Aldi say about their product and its differences from Thatchers’?
Aldi says that their product is different from Thatchers’ and that the branding, like the name and logo, makes it clear that it’s not the same.

8. What happened in a previous trademark dispute involving Aldi?
In a previous trademark dispute, Aldi lost a court case against Marks and Spencer over accusations of copying their Christmas gin bottles that light up.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) cider
(2) discount
(3) taste
(4) Thursday
(5) lawyers
(6) Judge
(7) similar
(8) research
(9) marketing
(10) product
(11) wrong
(12) different
(13) Thatchers
(14) Marks
(15) accusations
(16) copying
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Thatchers
Answer: (b) A company that makes cider in Somerset

2. Aldi
Answer: (g) A discount store from Germany

3. trademark
Answer: (d) A symbol or logo that represents a brand

4. cider
Answer: (a) A type of alcoholic drink made from apples

5. taste
Answer: (h) The flavor or flavor profile of a drink

6. appearance
Answer: (f) The way something looks or seems

7. investment
Answer: (e) Money or resources put into a project

8. decision
Answer: (c) A judgment or ruling made by a court
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who is involved in the legal fight over a trademark issue?
Answer: (c) Thatchers and Aldi

2. What does Thatchers accuse Aldi of doing?
Answer: (d) Copying their Cloudy Lemon Cider

3. When was Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider released?
Answer: (b) February 2020

4. What has Thatchers’ lawyer asked the judge to do?
Answer: (a) Conduct a blind taste test

5. How much money did Thatchers spend on marketing between 2020 and 2022?
Answer: (d) £3 million

6. How does Aldi argue that their product is different from Thatchers’?
Answer: (c) By stating that the branding makes it clear

7. What was Aldi accused of copying in a previous court case?
Answer: (b) Christmas gin bottles that light up

8. When will a decision be made in the trial between Thatchers and Aldi?
Answer: (a) Later
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. 1. Thatchers did not invest £3 million in marketing their Cloudy Lemon Cider between 2020 and 2022. (Answer: False)
2. Thatchers claims that Aldi has copied their Cloudy Lemon Cider in taste and appearance with their Taurus cider. (Answer: True)
3. 3. Thatchers does not believe that Aldi is gaining an unfair advantage by copying their product. (Answer: False)
4. 2. The trial between Thatchers and Aldi did not start in London on Thursday. (Answer: False)
5. Thatchers’ Cloudy Lemon Cider was released in February 2020, while Aldi’s Taurus brand was launched in May 2022. (Answer: True)
6. Thatchers’ lawyers have asked the judge to do a blind taste test to compare the two ciders. (Answer: True)
7. 4. Thatchers, a cider maker, is not in a legal fight with Aldi, a discount store, over a trademark issue. (Answer: False)
8. Aldi argues that their product is different from Thatchers’ and that the branding makes it clear it’s not the same. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧