The Korea Herald

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LG sues Dyson over ad campaign in Australia

By 김영원

Published : Oct. 27, 2015 - 18:38

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LG Electronics has recently 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. 

LG’s Cord Zero Cyking. 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. 

"We asked them to withdraw the campaign but they refused," said an LG executive, declining to be named. 

He also showed confidence in the upcoming court ruling by the Australian Federal Court. 

Dyson’s V6. Dyson’s V6.

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)