A US federal judge has rejected Chobani’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit by Danone, makers of the US yogurt brand Dannon, for allegedly copying the packaging and slogan for a competing line of ready-to-drink cold brew coffee.

US District Judge Jennifer Rochon in Manhattan says Dannon parent Danone DANO.PA plausibly alleged that Chobani would confuse consumers by using a yellow-and-black colour scheme and the slogan “Bright & Mellow” to sell its La Colombe coffee. Meanwhile, Danone uses the same colours and slogan to sell its SToK brand coffee. This lawsuit has been in the works since July 2025.

It is one of at least four cases since 2016 between Danone and Chobani, two of the biggest sellers of Greek-style yogurt in the US, the news agency says. Rochon rejected Chobani’s argument that “Bright & Mellow” could not be trademarked because it was generic, or merely described coffee’s mouthfeel or taste.

She also said Danone’s allegations that Chobani copied its packaging and slogan to make La Colombe and SToK look similar on store shelves “support a plausible inference of bad faith.” Chobani had also accused Danone of suing in an “opportunistic attempt to weaponise trademark law against a superior competitor.”

Recently, Danone sued Chobani for allegedly inflating protein claims on multiple-serving tubs of Chobani 20G Protein, making the yogurt seem more protein-rich than Danone’s Oikos Pro. In an interview, Chobani founder and chief executive Hamdi Ulukaya accused Danone of “throwing things out there” to create damaging headlines, Reuters notes.

Chobani, based in New York state, bought La Colombe for US $900 million (€792m) in December 2023. Danone’s US subsidiary is also based in New York.