Venable LLP client Dr. Squatch obtained a sweeping victory, as the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has determined four of Procter & Gamble’s deodorant patents to be unpatentable in their entirety. Procter & Gamble alleged in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court that Dr. Squatch’s natural deodorant sticks infringed each of the patents’ 71 claims. In response, Venable initiated inter partes review (IPR) proceedings to challenge the patents' validity. In a series of rulings, the PTAB ruled in Dr. Squatch’s favor, finding that each patent claim was obvious or anticipated by prior art.
The rulings underscore Venable’s strength in high-stakes patent litigation—particularly in the areas of personal care, beauty, and natural technologies. Dr. Squatch has provided the following statement about this decisive victory:
“Dr. Squatch welcomes the PTAB’s decision. From day one, Dr. Squatch has set out to rethink personal care by making distinctive, natural-first products and building a direct, authentic connection with consumers. The company remains focused on innovating through better ideas and better products. Dr. Squatch General Counsel Erika Georgiou is grateful to Manny Caixeiro, Justin Oliver, and Josh Calabro of Venable for their outstanding work in helping achieve the invalidation of all 71 challenged claims across four P&G deodorant patents.”
Read more about the victory in Law360 here.