The Tokyo District Court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by Nippon Paper Crecia against Daio Paper for allegedly infringing on its patents for toilet rolls three times as long as conventional products.
In the ruling by Presiding Judge Yoshiaki Shibata, read on his behalf by judge Aya Takahashi, the court found that Daio Paper did not infringe on patents and rejected a request for an injunction to stop the production of toilet paper by Daio Paper.
According to the complaint, Nippon Paper Crecia owns three patents related to the production of toilet rolls roughly 2.5 to four times longer than ordinary rolls. The company has been selling toilet paper using the technology under the Scottie brand since April 2016.
Daio Paper began selling toilet rolls 3.2 times longer than conventional rolls under the Elleair brand in spring 2022. Nippon Paper Crecia filed the suit in September the same year, seeking to stop Daio Paper from making three types of toilet paper products.
Nippon Paper Crecia argued that the depth and area of dents in the uneven surface of the toilet paper were within the range specified in the company's patents. Daio Paper countered that its specifications were different.
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