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Saffola vs Fortune Rice Bran Oil: Marico withdraws petition

A single judge of the Delhi High Court last month rejected Marico's plea for an injunction to restrain Adani Wilmar from carrying on with its ad campaign

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Marico loses legal battle against Fortune Rice Bran Oil ad

Saffola vs Fortune Rice Bran Oil: Marico withdraws petition

A single judge of the Delhi High Court last month rejected Marico's plea for an injunction to restrain Adani Wilmar from carrying on with its ad campaign

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | May 6, 2013

publive-imageMarico Limited, the maker of Saffola edible oils, withdrew on April 29, 2913, its appeal filed against an order passed by a single judge of the Delhi High Court last month, rejecting Marico's plea for an injunction restraining Adani Wilmar from carrying on with its ad campaign for its Fortune Rice Bran Oil.

Adani Wilmar in its print advertisements had claimed that its Fortune Rice Bran Oil, a 100% rice bran oil, had a higher content of Oryzanol than Marico's products, and that Oryzanol had proven cholesterol reducing properties. Marico complained this was disparaging.

Whilst permitting Marico to withdraw its appeal, the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court noticed the single judge's finding that Marico was neither disputing the Cholesterol reducing abilities of Oryzanol nor the levels of Oryzanol present in Marico and Adani Wilmar's respective products, and that being the case, whether a blend, as in Marico's case, or 100% pure rice bran oil as in Adani Wilmar's case, was better, was an issue that could only be determined after a trial and the appellate court found no reason to interfere with a full trial on this issue.

Marico first lost the case when the Delhi High Court on April 18 dismissed applications filed by it against Adani Wilmar, alleging disparagement of its products under the brand Saffola through the campaigns made by Fortune in TV and print media.

Angshu Mallick, COO, Adani Wilmar, said, We are very pleased with the court's decision as we can now further strengthen the positioning of Fortune Rice Bran as the world's healthiest oil through our advertisements. Our positioning was not for the benefit of our brand but for the quality of rice bran oil in general, and this verdict by the court clearly indicated that there's nothing wrong in the messaging.”

The Print ad:

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