The locally owned maker of Hefty trash bags this week filed a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition against rival bag maker Glad Products Co.
In the suit, Pactiv Corp., based in Lake Forest, said that for 17 years it has used the word “basics” on its bags and its stylized mark was trademarked in September 1993. The company charged that Glad is using the word “basic” in connection with its own trash bags, creating confusion in the consumer’s mind between the two brands. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, was first reported by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Pactiv, which has demanded a jury trial, seeks to permanently ban Glad’s use of the word as well as to receive damages and fees.
A spokesman for Glad, a subsidiary of The Clorox Co., was not immediately available for comment.
