JetBlue Airways aircraft are pictured at departure gates at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York June 15, 2013. REUTERS/Fred Prouser
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(Reuters) – A kosher certification group sued JetBlue Airways Corp in New Jersey federal court Thursday, alleging JetBlue unlawfully used its trademarks to advertise non-kosher food.
JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the lawsuit, New York-based JetBlue sells an artichoke snack that it says is certified by Kof-K Kosher Supervision without the group’s consent.
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Kof-K has never certified any of JetBlue’s products as kosher or given the airline permission to use its trademarks, according to the lawsuit.
An attorney for Kof-K declined to comment.
Kosher foods are prepared in accordance with strict Jewish dietary laws. Teaneck, New Jersey-based Kof-K certifies kosher products in the U.S. and internationally.
A JetBlue menu lists artichoke snacks in its “Mediterranean-inspired snackbox” as being “Kosher certified by KOF-K Kosher Supervision.” The menu also offers several other snacks it says were kosher-certified by other groups.
The company that makes the artichoke snacks, Elma Farms, was not named in the lawsuit.
Kof-K accused JetBlue of infringing and diluting trademarks in its name and the logo it uses to mark when a product has been certified (the logo does not appear on a document submitted as an exhibit). It also said JetBlue engaged in consumer fraud under New Jersey law.
Kof-K requested an unspecified amount of money damages and asked the court to force the airline to pull the snacks and stop using its trademarks.
The case is Kof-K Kosher Supervision v. JetBlue Airways Corp, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, No. 2:22-cv-04200.
For Kof-K:…
