Why did the federal judge reject Chobani's motion to dismiss Danone's cold-brew coffee lawsuit?

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon rejected Chobani's bid to dismiss the lawsuit because Danone plausibly alleged consumer confusion from Chobani's use of the same yellow-and-black color scheme and slogan 'Bright & Mellow' for its La Colombe cold brew coffee as Danone uses for its SToK coffee; the judge also found Danone's allegations of copying packaging and slogan to make the products look similar on store shelves supported a 'plausible inference of bad faith,' and she rejected Chobani's argument that 'Bright & Mellow' was unprotectable as generic or merely descriptive.

What is at stake in Danone's lawsuit against Chobani regarding the 'Bright & Mellow' slogan and packaging?

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and changes to Chobani's marketing of La Colombe cold brew coffee to avoid consumer confusion with Danone's SToK coffee, specifically targeting Chobani's use of the identical yellow-and-black color scheme and the slogan 'Bright & Mellow'—which Danone claims it owns and uses for SToK—alleging that Chobani copied these elements deliberately to create shelf-level similarity.

Chobani Fails to End Dannon Parent Danone's Cold-Brew Coffee Lawsuit

Jul 27, 2026

A federal judge rejected Chobani's motion to dismiss a trademark lawsuit filed by Danone over its La Colombe cold-brew coffee packaging and slogan. This marks another legal conflict between the two major yogurt and beverage competitors since 2016.

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