Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In December 2000, lawyers from jam giant J.M. Smucker Company sent a cease and desist letter to a small, Michigan-based food manufacturer and restaurant called Albie’s Foods. The letter demanded Albie’s stop selling a crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The sandwich was, according to the lawyer, in violation of a patent owned by Smucker for its Uncrustables. Albie’s was caught off guard by the accusation of patent infringement. After all, they wondered, could anyone really patent a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Sources:
“Persistence Pays Off for Two Area,” Jeff Baird, The Forum, Jan 1, 2001
“Smucker’s Spreads PB&J Joy,” Gerry Gilmour, The Forum, Aug 25, 2001
“Judge Discards Suit Over Crustless Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches,” Journal News Service, The Flint Journal, Nov 18, 2001
“Who Owns the Crustless PB&J?” David Streitfeld, Los Angeles Times via The Tribue, Feb 8, 2003
“Note: This Headline is Patented,” A.P. via The Daily Herald, Feb 27, 2003
“Patent Protection Gone Awry,” Hal R. Varian, The New York Times, Oct 21, 2004
“Making a PBJ? Don’t Do It the Smucker Way,” Sara Schaefer Munoz, Wall Street Journal via Tampa Bay times, Apr 6, 2005
“Children Rejoice — Peanut Butter and Jelly Patent Rejected on Appeal,” Dennis Crouch, PatentlyO, Apr 8, 2005
“Smucker’s Effort to Patent its PB&J Leaves a Bad Taste in Officials’ Mouths,” Malia Rulon, A.P. via Statesman Journal, Apr 9, 2005
“The Peanut Butter Jam,” Rebecca Meiser, Scene, Apr 20, 2005
“Closing Delayed on Crustless Store,” The Dickinson Press, Jun 7, 2006
“The Curious Case of Smucker’s Uncrustables,” Jack M. Wilson, Robert J. Manning School of Business, 2012
“Designing Food, Owning the Cornucopia: What the Patented Peanut & Jelly Sandwich Might Teach (The Replicator and Non-Scarcity Economics),” Thomas Folsom, Regent University School of Law, Akron Intellectual Property Journal, Mar 27, 2015
“Trademark Fight Over Crustless PB&J Asks: What Makes a Sandwich Special?” Kim Bellware, The Washington Post, Dec 20, 2022
“Wait, NFL Players Eat How Many Uncrustables?” Jayson Jenks, The Athletic, Oct 24, 2024
“Inside the Rise of Uncrustables — Marketing Gets a Boost as Adult Love for the Kids’ Snack Grows,” Erika Wheless, AdAge, Jun 4, 2025
“Our History,” Smucker’s Uncrustables
In December 2000, lawyers from jam giant J.M. Smucker Company sent a cease and desist letter to a small, Michigan-based food manufacturer and restaurant called Albie’s Foods. The letter demanded Albie’s stop selling a crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The sandwich was, according to the lawyer, in violation of a patent owned by Smucker for its Uncrustables. Albie’s was caught off guard by the accusation of patent infringement. After all, they wondered, could anyone really patent a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Sources:
“Persistence Pays Off for Two Area,” Jeff Baird, The Forum, Jan 1, 2001
“Smucker’s Spreads PB&J Joy,” Gerry Gilmour, The Forum, Aug 25, 2001
“Judge Discards Suit Over Crustless Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches,” Journal News Service, The Flint Journal, Nov 18, 2001
“Who Owns the Crustless PB&J?” David Streitfeld, Los Angeles Times via The Tribue, Feb 8, 2003
“Note: This Headline is Patented,” A.P. via The Daily Herald, Feb 27, 2003
“Patent Protection Gone Awry,” Hal R. Varian, The New York Times, Oct 21, 2004
“Making a PBJ? Don’t Do It the Smucker Way,” Sara Schaefer Munoz, Wall Street Journal via Tampa Bay times, Apr 6, 2005
“Children Rejoice — Peanut Butter and Jelly Patent Rejected on Appeal,” Dennis Crouch, PatentlyO, Apr 8, 2005
“Smucker’s Effort to Patent its PB&J Leaves a Bad Taste in Officials’ Mouths,” Malia Rulon, A.P. via Statesman Journal, Apr 9, 2005
“The Peanut Butter Jam,” Rebecca Meiser, Scene, Apr 20, 2005
“Closing Delayed on Crustless Store,” The Dickinson Press, Jun 7, 2006
“The Curious Case of Smucker’s Uncrustables,” Jack M. Wilson, Robert J. Manning School of Business, 2012
“Designing Food, Owning the Cornucopia: What the Patented Peanut & Jelly Sandwich Might Teach (The Replicator and Non-Scarcity Economics),” Thomas Folsom, Regent University School of Law, Akron Intellectual Property Journal, Mar 27, 2015
“Trademark Fight Over Crustless PB&J Asks: What Makes a Sandwich Special?” Kim Bellware, The Washington Post, Dec 20, 2022
“Wait, NFL Players Eat How Many Uncrustables?” Jayson Jenks, The Athletic, Oct 24, 2024
“Inside the Rise of Uncrustables — Marketing Gets a Boost as Adult Love for the Kids’ Snack Grows,” Erika Wheless, AdAge, Jun 4, 2025
“Our History,” Smucker’s Uncrustables
