Fiskars Found Liable for Willful False Advertising, Ordered to Disgorge Profits and Court Enters Permanent Injunction Requiring Packaging Changes
MADISON, Wis., Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In a lawsuit between two competing garden tool manufacturers, Woodland Tools Co. and Fiskars, the Federal District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin found Fiskars Brands Inc. and Fiskars Finland Oy Ab ("Fiskars") liable for false advertising. The Court ordered Fiskars to pay over $1.4 million to Woodland Tools and to adjust the packaging of fourteen popular gardening products, including removing cutting power claims that were proven to be misleading and willfully made by Fiskars, as well as false statements regarding design origins.
The Court determined that Fiskars' reckless approach to its cutting power claims at issue warranted an enhancement of the money award of 20%, which is reflected in the judgment for over $1.4 million.
The federal court's order, detailed here, affects the following Fiskars products (sold at a variety of national retailers like The Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Lowe's, and Amazon):
1) Fiskars must not state on the product packaging of Fiskars 9117 Pruners and Fiskars 9688 Pruners or in any advertising that these products were "Designed by Fiskars in USA."
2) Fiskars must not make any Ambiguous Quantified Comparative Cutting Power Claims (defined in the Permanent Injunction here), such as "up to 3x more power," or "cuts 3x easier," that do not disclose the base of comparison, on the product packaging or in the advertising of any of the following Fiskars products, which includes multiple PowerGear® and PowerGear2™ products:
- Fiskars 9154 Loppers
- Fiskars 9480 Loppers (Titanium)
- Fiskars 9480 Loppers (Ultra Blade)
- Fiskars 9279 Hand Pruners
- Fiskars 7972 Loppers (Black)
- Fiskars 7972 Loppers (Titanium)
- Fiskars 9286 Hedge Shears
- Fiskars 9138 Bypass Loppers
- Fiskars 9110 Hand Pruners
- Fiskars 9181 Hedge Shears
- Fiskars 9398 Tree Pruners
- Fiskars 9473 Tree Pruners
In addition to the products found to be willfully falsely advertised by Fiskars, the Court also ordered Fiskars not to produce packaging for any of the Fiskars garden cutting products sold in the US that make any "Ambiguous Quantified Comparative Cutting Power Claim."
"As an emerging brand in the market, we are grateful that measures are being taken to protect consumers from deceptive advertising, in this case, perpetuated by one of the oldest companies in the world, Fiskars," said Mike Kollman, President and Co-Founder of Woodland Tools.
All claims filed by Fiskars against Woodland Tools were dismissed and Woodland Tools' upheld counterclaims were taken to trial. As a result of the trial, the jury came to a unanimous verdict, finding Fiskars had engaged in multiple counts of willful false advertising.
Woodland Tools thanks its litigation counsel, attorneys Eli Van Camp, Laura Davis, Kai Hovden, Craig Fieschko, and the team at DeWitt LLP.
About Woodland Tools Co.
Woodland Tools Co. produces innovative lawn and garden tools that are the perfect choice Anywhere There is Work To Be Done. With a unique approach to innovation, Woodland Tools Co. blends a lifetime of practical know how with modern insights and manufacturing techniques, to create products that are efficient, versatile, and tough. For more information, visit WoodlandTools.com.
Source:
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN, Fiskars Finland Oy Ab and Fiskars Brands Inc. v. Woodland Tools, Case No. 3:22-CV-540-JDP, Docket No. 435 (Jury Verdict).
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN, Fiskars Finland Oy Ab and Fiskars Brands Inc. v. Woodland Tools, Case No. 3:22-CV-540-JDP, Docket No. 485 (Permanent Injunction).
Media Contact
Colleen Beaupré, Woodland Tools Co., 1 513-910-5326, [email protected], https://woodlandtools.com
SOURCE Woodland Tools Co.
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