Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 1
Perdue Sues Soules Over '6 7' Chicken Nuggets, Claiming Copy of April Walmart Launch
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 1

Perdue Sues Soules Over '6 7' Chicken Nuggets, Claiming Copy of April Walmart Launch

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 1

Summary

  • Perdue filed a federal lawsuit in Virginia last week accusing Soules Foods of copying its “6 7 Chicken Nuggets” product and packaging after Soules announced a rival version on June 7.
  • The complaint says Soules duplicated the core visual concept: breaded nuggets shaped like 6 and 7, cartoon hands beneath the numbers, doodle-style graphics and smiley faces.
  • Perdue’s nuggets debuted in April and reached Walmart stores nationwide by May, giving the poultry company an earlier claim to a product built around the fast-spreading “6 7” meme.
  • The case asks a court to decide whether a meme-inspired food concept can be protected when two companies try to cash in on the same viral trend.

Insights

When a meme becomes a product, does being first-to-market beat partnering with the meme's original star?
Can the simple shapes of '6' and '7' be legally owned, or are they part of a public culture free for all?