In Brief: P&G v. Colgate-Palmolive
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
P&G v. Colgate-Palmolive: Procter & Gamble charges Colgate and its ad agency, Young & Rubicam, with copyright infringement and unfair competition in a lawsuit filed Dec. 4 in Manhattan federal court. P&G contends that Colgate's toothpaste advertising "deliberately copie[s] a distinctive and well-known [egg]shell demonstration" used in Crest toothpaste TV ads worldwide since 1989. According to P&G, Colgate began airing ads in China that "strikingly replicate" those for Crest in anticipation of P&G's launch of the toothpaste into the Chinese market. Colgate also has begun running similar ads in Australia, Uruguay and the Philippines, P&G said. P&G is requesting preliminary and permanent injunctions banning the advertisements and payment of "unspecified damages." P&G announced its plan to expand Crest distribution to 25% of the Chinese population in October ("The Rose Sheet" Oct. 28, p. 14)...