Cadbury owner demands that a small Devon vegan brand pull its Christmas Snowballs from shelves, days after a Toblerone copycat row

Mike Jessop, co-founder of the Devon-based vegan brand Moo Free, says he was unaware Cadbury Snowballs even existed when Mondelēz International ordered him to withdraw his White Choccy Snowballs from shelves without delay. Mondelēz registered "Snowballs" as a trademark for chocolate confectionery in 2001, though Jessop disputes whether a term so generic can be trademarked at all.

Moo Free had been selling its dairy-free, gluten-free rice balls through Waitrose, Asda and Amazon for two years before the legal letter arrived.

It is the second trademark dispute in days for Mondelēz, which also took aim at Catherine's Originals over a bar design it claims replicates Toblerone's peaked shape.

Jessop told customers: 'We do not accept that any infringement has been established' and declared solidarity with Catherine's Originals.