P&G sues Vi-Jon over mouthwash bottle

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble announced that it has filed a lawsuit against a private-label manufacturer and distributor of mouthwash for allegedly violating the former's intellectual property.

P&G claimed in its suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, that Vi-Jon's mouthwash product carries a bottle and label shape design that is too similar to P&G's Scope Outlast mouthwash.

The lawsuit seeks to stop Vi-Jon from violating P&G's intellectual property, including its design patents, trade dress, trademarks and copyright, and to stop the company from selling the infringing products.

"Scope has invested in significant [research and development] to bring this product to market, and we take very seriously issues related to our intellectual property and competitive advantage," P&G Oral Care group president Charlie Pierce said. "Vi-Jon is using and benefitting 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."