P&G Files Lawsuit Against Luhns

The Procter & Gamble Company files a lawsuit against Luhns GmbH, a private-label manufacturer and distributor of Hand Dish Washing liquids, in the District Court of Dsseldorf, Germany (Landgericht Dsseldorf). The lawsuit alleges that Luhns GmbH is violating P&G's intellectual property by manufacturing and selling certain Magnum(TM) private label Hand Dish Washing detergents to a retailer in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 

P&G alleges that Luhns's dish detergent products, specifically the bottle shape and its overall product appearance, infringe P&G's European Community Design Rights relating to its FAIRY Hand Dish Washing liquids. Luhns's use of P&G's intellectual property without P&G's consent is prohibited by law, and can cause consumer confusion. P&G is suing Luhns in order to protect its business and to prevent consumer confusion in the marketplace.

 

"P&G has made significant investments in the innovations behind our FAIRY Hand Dish Washing liquids. We take the intellectual property rights protecting these innovations very seriously." says Deborah P. Majoras, chief legal officer, The Procter & Gamble Company. "By filing a law suit against Luhns we are taking steps to protect this investment, ensuring that consumers are not being confused."

 

The lawsuit seeks to stop Luhns from violating P&G's intellectual property and selling the infringing products.