Judge Amnon Strassnov: The similarity between the trade-names of Optalgin and Vitalgin is not such as to mislead.
The Tel-Aviv District Court today rejected an action brought by Teva, in which it sought to have Vitamed Pharmaceutical Industries banned from manufacturing and marketing the analgesic and antipyretic Vitalgin drug, on the grounds of a breach of the registered trademark relating to Optalgin, marketed by Teva.
Judge Amnon Strassnov said, in his decision: "The trade-name Optalgin is so widely circulated, so deeply rooted and famous among the public that Teva has no cause to fear deception or confusion between that drug and any other drug with an identical or similar suffix. The similarity is not so great as to mislead the consumer public into confusing the name Vitalgin with the name Optalgin".
Published by Israel's Business Arena May 24, 1999