Reckitt, HUL in legal tussle over TV ad

FMCG major Reckitt and Benckiser India has moved the Delhi High Court seeking restraint on the television commercial of Hindustan Unilever (HUL), which, the company alleged, has brought discredit to its cleaning product Harpic.

Advocate Chander Lall, appearing for Reckitt and Benckiser, contended before Justice B D Ahmed that it came to be known in January that Hindustan Unilever was showing an advertisement that puts Harpic in bad light by claiming that HUL's Domex kills germs better than the blue-coloured liquid.

Reckitt and Benckiser said the advertisement by HUL features a toilet bowl being cleaned with a blue colour liquid and proceeds to show how blue colour cleaners are ineffective against fighting germs compared to HUL's Domex that is white in colour.

The petitioner contended that its blue colour liquid cleaner Harpic has been around for 80 years and its colour is synonymous with its product in this category. It further claimed that Harpic is a household name and commands a marketshare of 80%.

Reckitt and Benckiser further alleged that the commercial was telecast intentionally and deliberately to disparage the entire class of blue liquid toilet cleaners and in particular Harpic. The petitioner has sought compensation of Rs 20 lakh from HUL for causing irreparable harm and injury to its reputation.

Denying all the allegations, senior advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for HUL, said there was no direct attack on Harpic in the advertisement as Reckitt and Benckiser was selling its product under other colour combination also apart from blue.

The court, after hearing both parties, reserved judgement.