Everything you ever wanted to know about Rockets but were afraid to ask
Travis Lowry
Issue date: 10/26/04 Section: Features
Imitations have been offered on the market by smaller brands, but Rockets seem to have won the battle through greater distribution. Ce De Candy Inc. also makes an "Extreme Sour" version of the candy, as well as similar products such as Candy Necklaces, Candy Watches and those small, fruit-shaped plastic containers filled with Rockets-flavoured powder candy.
Smarties, rather than being the "eat the red ones last" candy as it is in Canada, are literally the same candy as Rockets. Ce De Candy could not copyright the name in Canada because of Nestlé's chocolate candies of the same name, which were launched in the UK by Nestlé as Chocolate Beans in 1937, and were renamed and packaged as Smarties one year later according to their Web site. The chocolate candy came to Canada shortly afterwards. Nestlé managed to register the name Smarties in Canada before Ce De Candy Inc. could, but are not sold in the U.S. because Ce De registered the name there before Nestlé. As a result, Canada's Smarties are candy-coated, bite-sized chocolates instead of what we know as Rockets.
Smarties, rather than being the "eat the red ones last" candy as it is in Canada, are literally the same candy as Rockets. Ce De Candy could not copyright the name in Canada because of Nestlé's chocolate candies of the same name, which were launched in the UK by Nestlé as Chocolate Beans in 1937, and were renamed and packaged as Smarties one year later according to their Web site. The chocolate candy came to Canada shortly afterwards. Nestlé managed to register the name Smarties in Canada before Ce De Candy Inc. could, but are not sold in the U.S. because Ce De registered the name there before Nestlé. As a result, Canada's Smarties are candy-coated, bite-sized chocolates instead of what we know as Rockets.
