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Corporate executives are always whining to congress, the courts, the media, and anyone else who’ll listen that they are besieged with lawsuits, and they constantly demand laws to prevent people from suing them. But guess what group does more suing than anyone else? Corporations!
For example, consider Scotts Miracle-Gro, a multi-billion-dollar global chemical corporation that is suing a tiny upstart firm named TerraCycle. This small enterprising company is the sort of business that ought to be celebrated, not sued. A maker of all-natural garden products, TerraCycle’s best seller is an eco-friendly plant food made of – are you ready? – liquefied worm poop. Started in 2003 by a 25-year old college dropout, the company feeds organic scraps to worms. The resulting waste is then brewed into a compost tea that is put into recycled soda bottles that are collected from around the country by school groups and charities.
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Scotts, however, is not charmed by this fledgling competitor. Scotts, which makes synthetic plant food and controls some 60 percent of America’s lawn and garden market, is pounding tiny TerraCycle with a lawsuit. Using a pack of corporate lawyers, Scotts asserts that TerraCycle is deceiving consumers because its packages include a green and yellow color scheme on its label, the very colors used by Scotts.
Anyone who looks at the two products, however, can immediately see the difference – and see how frivolous this lawsuit is. Start with the big words “Worm Poop” on TerraCycle’s label. There’s a clue! Plus, the packages have totally different shapes. As for the green and yellow, no corporation can own colors, and many garden-care companies rather naturally choose green and yellow for their color schemes.
To learn seven ways you can help TerraCycle fend off this abusive assault by a bullying corporation, go to www.suedbyscotts.com.
“The Worm Turns,” The New York Times, May 20, 2007
“Lawn Order Now, That’s Really a Turf War,” Business Week, April 23, 2007
“TerraCycle sued by Scotts Miricle-Gro,” www.suedbyscotts.com, May 21, 2007