Judge refuses AT&T injunction request for Verizon ads
Ma Bell has been getting spanked by Verizon’s highly effective TV advertising campaign and now the courts have, at least for the time being, refused to give the carrier any relief either. But now AT&T has hit back with a TV spot of their own.
David Balser told U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Batten Sr., charged with hearing AT&T’s case against Verizon over the latter’s There’s a map for that ad campaign, has denied Ma Bell’s request for an injunction, according to the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That means the ads will keep running, though AT&T has finally managed to hit back with a TV ad of their own featuring actor Luke Wilson, who suddenly looks a lot like Bill Pullman.
“[Verizon's] advertisements are a response to the enormous success of the iPhone and [were] designed to deceive the public,” said Ma Bell legal beagle David Balser. AT&T has exclusive distribution rights for the iPhone in the US.
As you would expect, Verizon makes the case that Ma Bell is lashing out because they just can’t handle the truth that their network is inferior.
However, Judge Batten is offering AT&T’s lawyers another chance to make their case at a December 16 hearing. He has said that people “watching TV are semi-catatonic” and “not fully alive” making it easy for them to misunderstand Verizon’s commercials.
Take off the gloves
I really, truly hope the court won’t have anything to do with this case. That is, after three years of taking it like a big boy, Verizon has found a club, or finally worked up the nads to use it, and is beating AT&T rather effectively about the head and shoulders with it. Good for them.
AT&T should at least have the sense to either shut up and take it, like an adult, or fight back without involving the effing lawyers. Stand and deliver…
What’s your take?
Related posts:
November 19th, 2009
Agree with your point they should stand and take it like a man and hit back at VZ on its shortcomings.
And in the meanwhile beef up their network (ATT’s).
November 19th, 2009
Advertising Age has always been bashing Apple so this report is nothing new and who cares about his opinion.
November 19th, 2009
I think the ads, while aggressive can’t hurt. If I was Verizon I’d thank AT&T for all the free publicity their injunction gave them.