Procter & Gamble (P&G) has filed a lawsuit against Vi-Jon, a private-label manufacturer and distributor of mouthwash, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
The lawsuit alleges that Vi-Jon is violating P&G's intellectual property by manufacturing and selling its private-label mouthwash product to retailers.
Vi-Jon's mouthwash product, specifically the bottle and label shape, infringe P&G's design patents, trade dress, trademarks, and copyright relating to P&G's Scope Outlast mouthwash, according to the company.
"Scope has invested in significant R&D to bring this product to market, and we take very seriously issues related to our intellectual property and competitive advantage," stated Charlie Pierce, group president of P&G Oral Care, in a press release. "Vi-Jon is using and benefiting from our intellectual property, which we developed and promoted at great cost. We're taking this action to prevent consumers from being misled and to protect our business."
