Intuit Inc. has sued H&R Block Inc. for copyright infringement, alleging that Block's television spots echo Intuit's promotions for its market-leading TurboTax software.
Intuit is seeking a court order to stop the H&R Block ads, which have been airing in Oregon and Florida .
"When our competitors inappropriately copy our ads, violating our intellectual property, we will fight to protect it," said Intuit vice president Brad Henske, in a statement. Henske is in charge of the company's consumer tax group.
In a statement, Block said it was not surprised by the lawsuit. "We see this simply as a maneuver to try and halt the progress of a successful competitor," said Block senior vice president Tom Allanson, in a statement. A former Intuit executive, Allanson is general manager of Block's digital tax solutions.
Intuit is accusing Block of specifically copying its "No More Tax Stores" ad, saying that the Block ad copies the physical appearance, dress and mannerisms of the characters in the TurboTax ad, as well as the set, staging and pace of the advertisement. In addition, Intuit charges Block, which offers its own TaxCut software, with making misleading statements in the ad about services offered by both companies.
In January,