Visa Sues American Express Over ‘Grinch’

Visa International Corp. sued American Express Co., claiming the credit card rival is deceptively promoting itself as a sponsor of the upcoming holiday movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Visa said American Express launched an “unjustified and deceptive ‘ambush’ marketing campaign” aimed at misleading consumers. The campaign includes direct mailings to American Express cardholders that prominently feature the Grinch character, Visa said. Visa’s lawsuit, filed last week in a federal court in San Francisco, comes as Seagram Co.’s Universal Studios is gearing up for the Nov. 17 release of the live-action movie, directed by Ron Howard and starring actor Jim Carrey. Foster City, Calif.-based Visa, which claims it has an exclusive licensing agreement to promote the movie, is seeking unspecified damages and a court order requiring American Express to stop its marketing campaign. A spokesman for American Express couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Shares of New York-based American Express rose 31 cents to close at $60.94, while Montreal-based Seagram closed off 44 cents at $58.06, both on the NYSE.