Score one for the Pillsbury Doughboy.
The Pillsbury Co. announced Friday that it has reached an agreement with Sunshine Biscuits Inc. that settles its trademark infringement lawsuit pitting the familiar doughboy against the Drox character that adorns products of Sunshine Biscuits Inc. Sunshine agreed to change its mascot without any admission of trademark infringement and, in return, Pillsbury will not pursue its legal action.Pillsbury spokesman Terry Thompson said details of the settlement, including whether any money is involved, are confidential.
"The changes obviously have to be substantive so as not to resemble the Doughboy. That is the spirit of the agreement," Thompson said.
Thompson said Sunshine has pulled its television advertising in compliance with the agreement.
While Thompson acknowledges that the legal fight over two blobs of dough naturally has triggered plenty of jokes, it is no laughing matter financially.
"The Doughboy gets so much exposure that we really didn't try to assess the publicity value, but while everyone talks about it tongue-in-cheek, it is a very important issue to protect trademarks like this. The mark is worth millions and millions of dollars. It's incalculable," he said.