P&G sues Ranir over 'imitation' whitening strips

Published: 23-Mar-2017

Private label manufacturer accused of trying to “ride on the coattails of P&G’s success”

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The most recent private label supplier in a long line that have tried to ride on the coattails of P&G’s success.

P&G has filed a lawsuit against Ranir, a US-based private label manufacturer of oral care products.

The cosmetics industry player accused Ranir of acting “recklessly”, “deliberately” and “in bad faith” by supplying tooth whitening strips that infringe on its intellectual property.

In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, P&G said Ranir is “the most recent private label supplier in a long line that have tried to ride on the coattails of P&G’s success” by selling strips that infringe on its Crest patents.

Last year, P&G won a lawsuit against Onuge Personal Care, while in 2014 it sued private label supplier Clio.

The accused products are sold under various store own-brands including those from Walmart under the Equate private label, and in Kroger stores under the Kroger private label.

P&G’s Crest Whitestrips products were launched nearly 20 years ago and now generate more than $250m in annual sales.

P&G alleges Ranir has imitated its products down to the foil pouches that Crest strips traditionally come inside and the upper and lower strips placed on a single release liner.

In 1999, P&G was granted with two patents, which expire on 6 June 2017. However, Ranir launched the accused products before this expiration, an action P&G condemned as “particularly egregious and wilful”.

P&G is seeking a decree that Ranir has infringed and is infringing on its patents, as well as injunctions stopping Ranir from further infringement acts, and compensation.

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