AP Wire | 04/03/2006 | Intuit sues H&R Block for alleged copyright infringement:


SAN JOSE, Calif. - Intuit Inc. on Monday sued H&R Block Inc. for alleged copyright infringement, escalating the recent acrimony between the leading makers of tax preparation software.

The San Jose federal court lawsuit alleges H&R Block has been airing television commercials that echo Intuit's promotions for its market-leading TurboTax software.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Intuit is seeking a court order to stop the H&R Block ads, which so far have aired in Oregon and Florida.

"When our competitors inappropriately copy our ads, violating our intellectual property, we will fight to protect it," said Brad Henske, an Intuit vice president in charge of the company's consumer tax group.

Kansas City, Mo.-based H&R Block, the maker of TaxCut software, said it wasn't surprised by the suit.