cream egg scandal

[crisgal]

last year i emailed cadburys, suggesting that they make a cream egg "bar" for those who don't like to get messy. They replied immediately saying that they weren't any plans to make such a thing and that it would cost too much to make, but thanked me for my input.

My mate has just text me to say she's seen one!!!

That was MY idea - should I sue?

[Zeddy]

I'd be very surprised if you got a specific answer to your question. I have emailed many times and they have a stock reply for Joe Public which doesn't actually say anything at all.

Yes go for it and watch their lawyers laugh.

[Postdog]

Yeaah, you'll just end up with (Creme) egg on you face.

[heathfield]

Manufacturers are hate receiving suggestions for their products. Years ago, people used to rinse whites in a weak blue dye after washing them. (This was to counteract the slight yellowing that occurred to sheets, shirts, etc, and make the whites look whiter). The common product for this was called Reckitt's Blue.

A woman wrote to the makers of Daz washing powder suggesting that they include the blue in the powder. They did so without telling her. She sued and won. (Daz still has little blue bits in it).

A company's only way of avoiding this is to produce proof that they thought of the idea first. This proof would have to be in the form of minutes of meetings, inter-departmental memos, etc, clearly pre-dating the suggestion.

This is also the reason that companies will oftern register a copyright on ideas for things they may never produce, (e.g. coconut flavoured gin!).

If what your mate says is true, send Cadburys a photocopy of your original letter, together with a wrapper from the product, asking what they're up to. I guarantee their reply wouldn't be a standard letter! On the other hand, it could be just a leg-pull by your mate!

[Zeddy]

I know of someone who wrote to them with the same request. Who was first?

http://www.snackspot.org.uk/thread.php?story=0603081218sbc

[spudqueen]

Mr Spudqueen once went to Waddingtons with an idea for a board game. They turned it down, but about a year later a Waddingtons board game with the same name as Mr Spudqueens (though not the same game) appeared in the shops. Mr Spudqueen contacted them and they replied that they have brainstorming sessions where they just think of any possible board game titles and were using a title thought of in just such a session before Mr Spudqueens game had been submitted to them. I presume they do this so they have some copy of it and can then prove that they thought of it first. Possibly Cadburys do the same.

[dzug]

If you invented the recipe for it that they have swiped, then yes.

If you just thought it a good idea, don't bother. They probably had dozens of similar suggestions, which is why they have taken it up. Even if you were first (how would you prove it anyway?), it doesn't entitle you to anything.

[bellasasha]

i think they should bring out a creme egg easter egg--- i.e a huge egg with the gooey stuff in the middle mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

lol

[paddy_36]

It's definitely not a leg-pull - I had one last week! Got it in Woolworths. Yum!!!

[heathfield]

dzug - if crisgal was the first to think of it there would certainly be an entitlement to something. As to proving it, it would all come down to dates on letters, emails, company meeting minutes, etc, etc. These points have all been long established in law.

[Scarlett]

This sort of thing is annoying, and I guess the lesson we learn is to copyright our ideas first- ie- make sure you have proof of your idea and the date, in a traceable form, email sent, or even the idea posted back to yourself as registered post.

I had the idea for Flannimals long before Ricky Gervais. Me and my College boyfriend invented a silly enclyclopaedia/nature book, with a pointless creature on each page, and a David Attenborough-style commentary on each one. It was SO funny. Then, me and my mate continued this idea in Canterbury a few years back, as I was certain it was a great and funny idea. THEN Ricky Gervais produced it. This has happened to me SO many times- mainly with comedy show ideas and characters that I invented in 1986 with my sister- they are now cropping up in Catherine Tate etc.

Makes me mad! But there is no guarantee that Flannimals would have been published if it was by an unknown author- lets face it, Ricky Gervais can do as he pleases now! He could fart and they would publish it.

So... Cadburys own the name, the chocolate and the creme egg. You wouldn't have much to claim, and I imagine they get ALL their ideas from the general puiblic. Same with ideas for TV shows. Bah.

[Zeddy]

Bellashasha, nothing is ever original! Only a reworking of someone else's ideas:

http://www.pimpmysnack.com/project.php?projectID=2

[bellasasha]

he must have crawled into my head and stole my thoughts!!