P. M. BRIEFING : Sweet Ending to Candy Dispute

A trademark dispute between America’s giant Hershey candy bar company and a Dutch firm named Herschi was settled today with no chocolate mess.

A tidy agreement was reached between the Pennsylvania firm and the Dutch company, Schiffers, formerly known as Herschi Holding B.V., which produces soft drinks and other beverages.

The “Hershey” and “Herschi” trademarks are “of independent origin,” said competition regulators at the European Community Commission.

Under the settlement, Schiffers will assign its Herschi trademark to Hershey for an undisclosed sum, and Hershey then will license Schiffers the right to use the Herschi trademark for five years on certain products.

The Dutch company cannot introduce new products bearing the Herschi name, and agrees to stop using the name Herschi altogether at a later date.