CAT asks Emami to remove parts of its baby product ad

NEW DELHI: Competition appellate body CAT has ordered FMCG company Emami to withdraw certain portions of its advertisement that have implications for another player in the segment Johnson & Johnson.

"We pass an order of cease and desist prohibiting the respondent (Emami Ltd) from using the emphasised portion of the statements (advertisements)", the appellate tribunal said in a case pertaining to unfair trade practices filed by Johnson & Johnson in 2009.

Officials of the both Emami and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) were unavailable for comments.

The emphasised portions referred to by the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) are "leading brands" and "modern baby products", the terms that Emami used in advertisements implying that modern baby products of leading manufacturers are harmful for the child's skin and herbal products manufactured by it would be a better alternative.

Moving against the advertisement, J&J had alleged before CAT that Emami has made "false deceptive,misleading and disparaging representations/advertisements...on the packages of its products, in the print media and the electronic media for promoting three baby products by creating an impression and fear in the mind of mothers of small children".

J&J manufactures baby soap, powder and baby oil and occupies up to 96 per cent share of the market, making it a "leading brand" in the market.