Gillette accused Dollar Shave Club of swiping a patent to reduce wear and tear on razor blades. But according to a counterclaim filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware, Dollar Shave Club denies doing any such thing, reports the Los Angeles Times.
“Dollar Shave Club does not infringe on any valid and enforceable claim of the Gillette patent,” the company said. “We will vigorously defend ourselves and our three million members against these meritless claims.
“We prefer to have the Dollar Shave Club experience speak for itself in the marketplace,” the company added, “and we are not intimidated by Gillette’s attempts to thwart competition with litigation.”
Procter & Gamble, which owns Gillette, says in a statement that the suit is meritless, and that it will protect its innovation “and the scientists behind it.”
“We invest heavily in innovation. In fact, that’s how Gillette started – through improving the shaving experience. And that’s why we’re so serious about defending our technology.”
Gillette is trying to elbow its way into an increasingly crowded online sales market for razors: while it has about a 60% chunk of the retail market right now, that market is shrinking, as lumbersexuals and their beards have become trendy. Gillette’s online subscription service (launched last in 2015, ostensibly in response to Dollar Shave Club’s existence) only makes up about a fifth of the online market.
Dollar Shave Club files counterclaim against Gillette in battle of the blades [Los Angeles Times]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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