When it comes to toilet paper, there aren’t lots of distinctive qualities. Rolls from competing brands can look like carbon copies, each claiming to be fluffy but tough.
But for one Japanese toilet paper giant, the rival’s roll was too similar for their liking.
Videos by VICE
Japanese toilet paper maker Nippon Paper Crecia said on Tuesday it was suing a rival for selling rolls that it said copied its innovation: triple-length toilet paper.
Since 2016, the company has been selling their triple-length rolls, measuring 75 meters and promising to save customers time changing toilet rolls.
Its competitor Daio Paper Industries jumped on the triple-length bandwagon in April, selling rolls at the exact same length and slightly longer. But Nippon Paper Crecia has accused Daio of copying its triple-length design and packaging.
“We have sought to resolve the issue through discussions with Daio Paper Corporation, but this has proved difficult, so we have decided to file this lawsuit,” a spokesperson told VICE World News. The company is seeking 33 million yen ($229,188) in damages. Daio Paper did not immediately respond to VICE World News’ request for comment.
Triple-length toilet paper is a popular roll for Nippon Paper Crecia, accounting for about 35 percent of its toilet paper sales last year. The company expects the number to rise to 40 percent this year—if it doesn’t lose their customers to their rivals.
Creating longer toilet paper rolls may sound like a trivial problem, but it involves more than winding more paper around the cardboard roll.
In order to make triple-length toilet paper rolls fit in existing holders, the company created thinner paper and rolled it more tightly. But doing so can crush the embossing on the toilet paper and sacrifice softness and absorbency.
The company credits its patented manufacturing methods for extending the length of a roll while maintaining its softness and toughness, qualities that help it win customers’ hearts and bums.
