“Barefoot Contessa” and Seafood Company Reach Settlement

Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa” and her company have reportedly reached a settlement agreement with Aqua Star (USA) Co. less than one month after the celebrity chef filed a complaint alleging trademark infringement for frozen dinners bearing the phrase “Contessa Chef Inspired.” Barefoot Contessa Pantry LLC v. Aqua Star (USA) Co., No. 15-1092 (U.S. Dist. Ct., S.D.N.Y., settlement reached March 12, 2015).

Ina Garten and her company, Barefoot Contessa, alleged that Aqua Star and its subsidiary, OFI Imports, manufactured and sold frozen dinners too similar to products made by a former licensee of Garten’s name and likeness. Aqua Star has reportedly agreed to stop selling products with the Barefoot Contessa mark, remove and destroy the products from shelves by early May, and pay an undisclosed amount of money. Additional information about the complaint appears in Issue 556 of this Update. See SeafoodSource.com, March 13, 2015.

Issue 559