The litigation saga between French beverage maker Groupe Danone and Hangzhou-based Wahaha, controlled by flamboyant entrepreneur Zong Qinghou, has moved from the Chinese mainland into Europe and, now, the United States.

A superior court of the State of California in Los Angeles has begun hearing of the writ filed by Danone in June 2007 against Ever Maple Trading, the parent company of Wahaha.

In a statement, Danone alleged that Wahaha was "selling products which are the same as those sold by Wahaha Joint Ventures (partly owned by Danone) and is making use of the Joint Ventures' distributors and suppliers. Groupe Danone has filed the US complaint to put a stop to the defendants' collective scheme to interfere with its customer relationships and business prospects."