Visa International Corp. has filed suit against American Express Co., claiming the credit card rival is deceptively promoting itself as a sponsor of the holiday movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Visa said American Express created an “unjustified and deceptive ambush marketing campaign'” aimed at misleading consumers. The effort includes direct mailings to American Express cardholders that prominently feature the Grinch character. Visa’s lawsuit was filed last month in a San Francisco federal court. Foster City, California-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.
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