Pioneer fails to dim Star pap's 'get-up'

Pioneer Foods, producer of the popular White Star super maize meal, has failed to stop rival Bothaville Milling from selling a super maize meal known as Star.

Pioneer has complained since 2011 that Bothaville Milling has been passing off Star by selling it in a "get-up" similar to that of White Star's.

The packaging in both cases has a white background with the brand's wording and symbols in either green or red. Both depict a red star.

In its defence, Bothaville Milling said the products had co-existed in the marketplace for more than a decade without any confusion.

Pioneer's application to restrain Bothaville Milling was dismissed by the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein in September 2012. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

It held that, although there were some visual similarities between the two, dissimilarities would become obvious when a customer was faced with the two products.