Top insulation firms fight advertising battle in the High Court

Two leading insulation firms are fighting a High Court battle over claims about the fire safety of their products.

Kingspan claims that between 2000 and 2008, rival company Rockwool used DVDs and roadshow advertising to compare the two companies’ products using tests which questioned Kingspan insulation’s ability to stop fire.

Kingspan asserts that the tests were not appropriate for the product and did not reflect how it would be used in real life. It is questioning whether Rockwool should have the protection of laws covering competitive advertising.

If the court finds that Rockwool’s advertising is not covered by EU directive- derived laws that protect comparative advertising, it could open the way for Kingspan to seek damages over trademark infringement and allow it to take out an injunction against Rockwool to prevent it using Kingspan trademarks in its advertising in future.

The court hearing finished on 21 December and the judge’s decision is expected within two months.