A pharmaceutical and healthcare giant is suing Pixar animation studios over the films Cars and Cars 2, claiming that the name of anthropomorphic racing car and lead character Lightning McQueen is an intentional derivation of their popular toothpaste brand Whitening Macleans.
Lawyers acting for the pharmaceutical company are claiming two million in damages from the subsidiary, asserting that film audiences respond positively to Lightning McQueen's name due to an unconscious association with the familiar toothpaste brand name.
They argue that as a consequence, the Cars movie franchise is benefiting directly from millions of dollars that they have invested in global toothpaste advertising.
Pixar are understood to be filing a countersuit over a recently launched teen skincare range Finding Blemo.
