Procter & Gamble Wins Patent Infringement Case On Crest Whitestrips

(RTTNews) - Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) said Tuesday that the federal District Court for the Southern District of Ohio has ruled that Clio USA's tooth whitening strip products infringe several P&G patents related to P&G's Crest Whitestrips products.

The Court also rejected Clio's arguments that the patents are invalid.

P&G revolutionized the process of at-home whitening with the introduction of Crest Whitestrips in 2001. The company's teeth whitening systems can remove 14 years of set-in stains below the enamel surface at a fraction of the cost of in-office treatments.

P&G noted that though it generally prefers to resolve intellectual property disputes amicably and without litigation, Clio refused to stop selling the infringing products and insisted that the matter be litigated.

Deborah Majoras, P&G's Chief Legal Officer, said, "Companies that want to compete legitimately with our Crest Whitestrips® would not copy our patented technology. But if they do, we will exert our rights as the law allows."