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SC rejects MRTPC ruling against Colgate

In a major victory for Colgate Palmolive, the Supreme Court has cleared it of a finding by the MRTP Commission that it resorted to unfair trade practices by launching the "Trigard family good habits contest" to popularise its toothbrush in 1984.

Delivering the judgement on a 13 year-old appeal filed by Colgate Palmolive challenging the MRTPC (Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission) order, a Bench comprising of Chief Justice G B Pattanaik and Justice S B Sinha set aside the MRTPC Full Bench order.

Colgate Palmolive had announced the contest in which the participants were asked to answer a question relating to brushing habits and also to write a slogan as to why the family preferred the Colgate Trigard toothbrush. The participants had to send upper portions of two cartons in which the brush was sold.

A complaint was made to MRTPC alleging that the said contest was for the purpose of promotion of the sale of its product, which was in the interest of the company alone and prejudicial to the interest of the consumers in general.

The company had contended that the contest was educative as well as fair in the sense the best slogan was to be chosen by eminent editors of respected weekly magazines.

However, a Full Bench of MRTPC held that the contest was an unfair trade practice by Colgate Palmolive causing "loss or injury to the consumers."

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