"Momofuku Relinquishes 'Chile Crunch' Trademark After Backlash"

Momofuku, the packaged goods brand spun out of chef Dave Chang's popular restaurants, faced backlash for enforcing its trademark on the term "chile crunch," leading to cease-and-desist letters to small businesses. Chang and Momofuku CEO Marguerite Mariscal announced on a podcast that they will no longer enforce the trademark, attributing the situation to a misunderstanding and expressing regret for any offense caused. They explained that the original enforcement was a protective move and that their decision not to defend the trademark opens them up to the risk of losing it.