Lidl Spain director celebrates Thermomix legal victory and advances that the food processor will return to stores "as soon as possible" and at a "competitive price".
If there is a star product of the German chain Lidl that is the kitchen robot Monsieur Cuisine Connect.
But this relevance has implied an unprecedented court battle that caused me to suspend the sale of the appliance last year.
The protagonist of this struggle was none other than the company Vorwerk, owner of the famous brand Thermomix, who filed a complaint against the German group for an alleged violation of the patent.
A few days ago, the justice was right to Lidl and dismissed the previous judgment, which held that the supermarket chain had invaded the patent of Thermomix and had taken an economic profit from it.
Lidl Spain director celebrates Thermomix legal victory
Now, and with the judgment made public, the decision has been celebrated by Ferran Figueras, the general director of Lidl in Spain.
It has done so within the framework of a presentation in which the chain has exhibited muscle in the national territory, where it hopes to overcome the barrier of 5,000 million in sales.
During the meeting with the media, the manager explained that the group is already working to get its food processor back on sale "as soon as possible", while adding that its economic price will be key: "It will remain competitive".
The ruling of the judges stipulates that there is no violation by Lidl since the security system of both robots is different.
The nuance lies in the following: in the Thermomix it is necessary to stop the agitator mechanism to be able to intervene the glass, while in the Lidl robot the energy stops reaching this mechanism once the lid has been removed.
Court arguments on Lidl Spain director celebrates Thermomix legal victory
In addition, the court argues that the patent on which Vorwerk is based to impute the infringement of rights is invalid, since the company has unduly extended the protection during the processing of the same.
Finally, the Court argued that, even if the patent were valid, Lidl would not have infringed it.
One of the reasons why Thermomix decided to go to trial is the low price with which the Lidl robot is marketed.
In this way, the Monsieur Cuisine Connect costs 360 euros, while a Thermomix is above 1,000 euros.
Products behind Lidl Spain director celebrates Thermomix legal victory
This brightness of the product gestated by the German chain has also had a direct impact on the accounts of the whistle-blower firm.
In recent years, Thermomix has lost 18% of its sales due to the huge success of low-cost kitchen robots. One of the most responsible was the Monsieur Cuisine Connect of Lidl, which every time it went on sale ended up selling out within a few hours.
However, Lidl's is not the only good-priced food processor you can find on the market. Other companies such as Taurus or Kenwook have entered this trade war to offer cheap alternatives.
