Schick-Wilkinson Sword is walking the razor’s edge of patent law � at least according to rival manufacturer The Gillette Company. On August 12 Gillette filed suit against Energizer Holdings, Inc. (Schick’s parent company) in federal district court in Boston, seeking to block the future distribution and sale of Schick’s new men’s razor, the Quattro. Gillette is claiming patent infringement.
The patent in question covers “progressive blade geometry,” a means of positioning razor blades so that each blade is slightly closer to the skin, allowing for closer shaves. Gillette used progressive blade geometry in its Mach3 and Mach3 Turbo razors, leading sellers in the men’s market, and in a women’s razor, the Venus. This technology is widely credited with bolstering Gillette’s share of the $1 billion � plus American razor market. Gillette holds approximately 70 percent of that market; Schick, 13 percent. Sales of Mach3 and Mach3 Turbo blades total about $318 million annually.
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