LG Electronics has filed an injunction against the U.K.-based home appliances manufacturer Dyson to stop its ad campaign in Australia that claims its cordless vacuum cleaner boasts “the highest suction power” among rivals.
The Korean tech giant said Dyson’s claims are misleading consumers, saying its Cord Zero Cyking produces twice the suction power of Dyson’s V6 cleaner.
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| LG’s Cord Zero Cyking. |
According to the company, LG’s Cyking has a maximum suction power of 200 watts, double the 100 watts of Dyson’s V6.
The lawsuit comes after LG launched the newest vacuum cleaner globally this year. Australia, where almost half the market is dominated by Dyson, is one of the strategic markets for the company’s latest push.
“Dyson should have been aware of the suction power figures. They were just inconsiderate due to their brand power there,” said an industry source, declining to be named.
LG officials also showed confidence in the upcoming court ruling by the Australian Federal Court.
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| Dyson’s V6. |
“We are confident our Cord Zero Cyking is the best cordless cleaner in the world,” said Shin Seok-hong, LG’s cleaner business division chief. “We will be betting big on the global premium market this year.”
This is not the first time for Dyson to be engaged in a lawsuit with a Korean company.
In February last year, Samsung Electronics filed a lawsuit seeking 10 billion won ($8.8 million) in compensation from Dyson in a patent fight over a vacuum cleaner mechanism.
Samsung’s suit was a counteraction against Dyson, which earlier had accused Samsung for violating its patents.
Dubbed the “Apple of vacuum cleaners,” Dyson has seen stunning growth over the past years, with its 2014 sales reaching 1.3 billion British pounds ($2.0 billion). Korea is also one of its top 10 markets in terms of sales.
By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)
