CALIFORNIA : SOUTHLAND FOCUS : Jury Finds Pfizer Liable in Trovan Case

Pfizer Inc., the No. 2 U.S. drug maker, was found liable for using a British company’s name to market the antibiotic Trovan, a Pfizer attorney said. An eight-member jury returned with the verdict in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, said Pfizer attorney Nels Lippert. Trovan Ltd., which makes a system of electronic-identification devices, sued New York-based Pfizer for trademark infringement, seeking to bar it from using the name. Trovan and its Santa Barbara-based distributor are seeking $100 million in damages, which would be one of the largest trademark judgments ever. The damage phase of trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 1. Pfizer spokesman Andy McCormick said the company was reviewing its options after the verdict. Trovan Ltd. has held a U.S. trademark registration on the name since 1991.