Is Baklouce the new Crompouce®?

Last year, the Crompouce® croissant made headlines in the Netherlands.

This cross between a tompouce (a sort of Dutch mille-feuille) and a croissant was such a hit with consumers that many bakeries expanded their range to include the pink delicacy. Media interest intensified when it appeared that Crompouce® is actually a registered trademark that no one else is allowed to use.

We shared our thoughts on this in our blog. The word CROMPOUCE is a perfectly good trademark but the widespread use of the term Crompouce as a generic name for this product is concerning. It does not necessarily mean that the trademark registration is no longer effective but including a generic name by which to refer to the product is advisable. This is what the trademark owner decided to do as well: the 'Crompouce®-croissant' is the term the baker now refers to (exactly how we would recommend).

It seems that combining the Dutch tompouce pastry with an existing bakery product is a recipe for success. The latest version is BAKLOUCE: a cross between baklava and a tompouce. The creator clearly paid attention to the Crompouce-case and filed an application to register BAKLOUCE as a trademark. The trademark authority has now approved the trademark on absolute grounds, deeming the name distinctive. This cross between a tompouce (a sort of Dutch mille-feuille) and a croissant was such a hit with consumers that many bakeries expanded their range to include the pink delicacy. Media interest intensified when it appeared that Crompouce® is actually a registered trademark that no one else is allowed to use.

Author: Arnaud Bos

Bio: Arnaud is trademark attorney and within Knijff responsible for the marketing & communication. Arnaud is specialist in the metaverse and music sectors and his client portfolio includes many upcoming and renowned bands. He keeps a close eye on the latest case law in the EU and will let you know when he sees remarkable applications.