Heinz, Indiana company battle over 'red zone'

An Indiana ketchup is looking to gain some attention in its fight with Heinz.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Ketchup giant H.J. Heinz Co. is seeing red over a smaller ketchup maker's use of the term "red zone."
Heinz partners with the Pittsburgh Steelers and three other NFL teams to make charity donations whenever the home team gets past the opponent's 20-yard line -- the so-called red zone.
Heinz claims Elwood, Ind.-based Red Gold Inc.'s "Red Gold Red Zone" program is too similar to its "Heinz Red Zone" program. That program donates to charity when the Indianapolis Colts enter the red zone.
Heinz has about 60 percent of the ketchup market, while Red Gold has less than 1 percent. The food giant sent Red Gold a cease-and-desist letter about a year ago and is pursuing trademark registration of the term "Heinz Red Zone" in the context of entertainment purposes at sporting events, said Heinz spokesman Robin Teets. Teets downplayed the dispute, which Red Gold has used to seek publicity in a David-vs.-Goliath campaign as the Colts marched to the Super Bowl.
What company said
Last week, after learning the matter wasn't settled, as Red Gold officials thought, the company issued a press release saying Heinz was trying to claim ownership of the term and urged people to sound off on its Web site.
"That's why we are so perplexed by the Heinz challenge to this," Greg Metzger, head of marketing at Red Gold, said Friday. "The red zone is a term that was coined 20 or 30 years ago."
"We thought maybe it's time we share with our customers and our Colts fans here locally what Heinz is trying to do," Metzger said. "Whether it's high school football or college football or peewee football, the fans and the community own the red zone."
Teets stressed Heinz was not trying to trademark "red zone" in and of itself. He dismissed Red Zone's campaign as a publicity stunt and said he was confident the matter would be resolved soon.
Heinz has been doing its campaign since 2002, Heinz said. Red Gold has been doing its program for the past four years, Metzger said.