Friday, Procter & Gamble Co. (PG), said that the validity of its patent for a consumer- preferred plastic coffee container, has been confirmed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the second time.
The infringement claim dates back to August last year, when P&G filed a lawsuit against Kraft Foods, producer of the Maxwell House coffee brand, indicating that the four-pound plastic container for Maxwell House coffee directly infringes key Procter & Gamble patents on Folgers coffee.
Following the event, in October 2007, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California put an hold on the lawsuit, pending the outcome of a review by the U.S. patent office.
Steve Jemison, chief legal officer for P&G, said in his statement that the company is more confident following the U.S. Patent office's decision, and believes they will prevail against Kraft in all the multiple intellectual property lawsuits.
P&G further noted that it will continue to lead the litigation coordinating with The J.M. Smucker Company, the buyer of P&G's Folgers coffee business in November this year.
PG is currently trading at $64.18, up 1.31% or $0.83, on a volume of 14.7 million shares on the NYSE.
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