Founder of Chobani yogurt faces stolen recipe allegation

Intellectual property cases may be appear more frequently in the news as music or entertainment related cases, but copyright can affect many other industries, including the food industry. Just like a song is a copyrighted work, a recipe can be as well. 

There's a reason chefs and restaurants seek to safeguard certain recipes. A great recipe may be the secret to a successful business and another party steals the recipe to profit off of, it could mean legal trouble. The owner of Greek yogurt company Chobani is facing a lawsuit that questions the yogurt's recipe. Chobani founder, Hamdi Ulukaya was alleged by his ex-wife to have bribed an employee of yogurt competitor Fage with $41,109 for the company's recipe, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. 

There is more to this story, as Ulukaya was alleged by ex-wife Ayse Giray to have bragged about the way he obtained the recipe. Giray claims to own a 53 percent stake in Chobani, and the two have been engaging in legal battle for years. In 2003, Giray provided a letter from Ulukaya promising her a 53 percent stake in the company. Giray had provided $500,000 to help start the company that came before Chobani, and is attempting to keep Ulykaya from selling her share of the company.

Whether or not the allegation of bribing a Fage employee for the recipe is true, Ulukaya will have to be armed with a strong strategy to face these other legal battles, especially since he has faced legal trouble in the past concerning embezzlement and stolen checks, according to the New York Post. 

Businesses looking to keep their secrets safe from competitors should seek legal counsel so they can be aware of what steps can be taken to protect intellectual property from copyright infringement. If you think your business has been subjected to intellectual property theft, contact a Phoenix small business attorney today.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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