Overview
- Astrid Lindgren AB filed a trademark-infringement lawsuit in Sweden against the company behind the Croatian soft drink Pipi after a bid to register the mark there.
- The estate says the name closely resembles Pippi and contends the branding links the beverage to the famous character, creating a high risk of confusion.
- Filings and interviews criticize the label for a sexualizing tone, noting earlier bottles showed a braided girl and newer designs feature a blonde young woman.
- The producer, identified in Swedish reports as OSTRC/Pipi Beverages, rejects the claims, says it never intended to use Lindgren trademarks, and notes the drink is not sold in Sweden.
- Pipi has been on the market since 1971, and the company’s website says the soda was named after Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking.