P&G Sues Maker of Oral-B Replacement Brushes

September 21, 2006 -- Court documents indicate Gillette and Ranir have agreed to settle this case, but neither party has revealed terms of the agreement.April 3, 2006 -- Procter & Gamble's Gillette subsidiary has filed a lawsuit alleging that private label manufacturer Ranir, LLC, is infringing patents owned by Gillette's Braun company. Ranir manufactures replacement toothbrush heads designed for Oral-B power toothbrushes.The lawsuit filed in the Southern District Court of Ohio claims Ranir is violating Braun's patents relating to the connection between the brushhead and the handles of Oral-B power toothbrushes. Retailers selling the replacement brushes include CVS, Rite Aid and Meijer, according to the complaint. (Click on the Attached File at the right to read the full complaint.)"Oral-B's brushhead designs are a competitive advantage. We intend to protect the investment we have made into the research, development and intellectual property of our products," said Gary Cohen, vice president, Oral-B business management.The lawsuit seeks to stop Ranir from selling the infringing products. It also seeks to recover damages for violations of P&G's intellectual property rights. The suit follows three other recent trade dress and infringement suits P&G has filed against private label manufacturers of products that compete directly with P&G brands. (See Related Articles below.)Ranir's answer to the complaint, filed May 30, 2006, alleges that their brush heads use a different connection method to the brushes. The replacement brushes lack, "among other things, a 'resilient member,' 'resilient latch member,' 'resilient spring element,' or 'spring element' as claimed" in the Gillette patents, according to the answer. "Indeed, Ranir's product is rigid and does not produce more than a mere frictional force on the mount of the toothbrush handle. Ranir has not infringed, and does not infringe, willfully or otherwise, any valid or enforceable claim...." (Click on the Attached File at the right to read Ranir's answer to the complaint.)

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