With a name like PB&J, it has to be Smuckers?

At first read J.M. Smucker Co.'s legal battle to keep its patent on Uncrustables, a sealed, crustless peanut butter and jelly "pocket" may seem humorous (as does this cute little picture we're running with this post of a cartoon Uncrustable). It doesn't help that "Uncrustables" is possibly the ickieset product name ever. But Smucker's is serious about protecting the highly profitable product from other crust-cutting PB&J poachers. The round sandwiches (which come frozen) generated sales of $27.5 million in 2004, according to this story. The crust-free treat was developed in 1995 by two fathers who began selling them to Midwestern schools. Smuckers knew a goldmine when they saw it, bought the fathers out and were granted a patent in 1999. Controversy followed when Albie's Foods started selling its own crustless PB&J. Although they went to  court, both parties eventually dropped their cases. This week, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Smucker's will try to get exclusive rights for this method of sandwich making.

—Posted by Lisa van der Pool

April 6, 2005 | Permalink