Business & Tech

Del's Accuses Deb's Lemonade of Infringement

The popular Rhode Island frozen lemonade chain that got its start in Cranston in 1948 is accusing a similar business in Virginia of infringement.

Lawyers for Del's Lemonade have demanded a frozen lemonade business in Roanoke, Va., stop using a lemon design and logo that is awfully similar to the famous Del's frosted-lemon logo that made frozen lemonade a household name in Rhode Island and beyond.

Deb's Lemonade opened in 1977 and at the end of May, its owner, Debra Castelli got a letter from a Rhode Island lawyer Jeffrey Techentin accusing Castelli of infringing on Del's trademark lemon design.

“Your business, Deb’s Frozen Lemonade, has been using a trademark consisting of a lemon design either identical to marks belonging and registered to Del’s," the letter stated.

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Castelli told the Roanoke Times that she will be traveling to Rhode Island to meet with Techentin to talk about the letter and insisted that her business isn't infringing on Del's.

She said the idea that her logo and the Del's logo are identical is a false, noting that the typeface of the word "Deb's" is different than what Del's uses and her lemon is at a different angle and doesn't have snow on it.

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And Castelli said her lemonade is "much better" than Del's.

What do you think? Is Deb's logo too similar to Del's? Post your thoughts in the comments.


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