In the US this would be a ticket to instant dismissal and probably a nice fine for the attorney for filing a meritless action.

Funnily enough, there's more pointless legal stuff in America then any country worldwide. Where else do you sue if you trip on the pavement?

But it doesn't mean it won't get dismissed. In fact, many of the "frivolous" lawsuits people like to trot out are exagerrated or flat out made up. Frivoulous suits, by definition, get tossed, and attorneys who proceed with such actions are generally subject to sanctions.

Not that you would know that from the media. Funny thing is, most large media outlets are owned by a few major corporations. And guess who the real filers of frivoulous suits are. You guessed it: big corporations. One study found that less than 5% of all punitive awards go to either medical malpractice or product liability claims. 47% are business cases. According to the Wall Street Journal, between 1985 and 1991 businesses suing each other comprised *half* of all filed federal cases. Another study found that businesses file 4x the number of suits that individuals represented by trial attorneys do.

And Some Really Frivolous Lawsuits That Businesses Have Filed

• In 1998, Kellogg Co. sued Exxon Corp., claiming that Exxon's "whimsical tiger" logo, which had been in existence for over 30 years, would confuse consumers who associate the tiger logo with Kellogg's Frosted Flakes mascot, "Tony the Tiger." A federal judge in Memphis threw out the suit, saying that Kellogg was "grossly remiss in failing to assert its rights" sooner. This didn't stop Kellogg, which further clogged the courts by appealing the verdict to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. In its brief, Kellogg argued that the Exxon tiger, like Tony, "walks or runs on his two hind legs and acts in a friendly manner."

• In 1998, Enterprise Rent-A-Car filed lawsuits against Rent-A-Wreck of America (a tiny rental company) and Hertz Corp. and threatened to file lawsuits against several other car-rental companies who use the phrase "pick you up," claiming that "We'll pick you up" is Enterprise's slogan. While those suits were pending, Advantage Rent-a-Car counter-sued Enterprise, claiming that Advantage had used the phrase "We'll pick you up" long before Enterprise did. Enterprise argued in its lawsuits that the phrase means more than "We'll give you a ride"; it means "We'll pick up your spirits." Competitors said that there was no other way to say "We'll give you a ride." Enterprise attorney Rudolph Telscher said that "We'll decide in the courtroom who is correct here."

• In November 1995, Hormel Foods, the maker of the luncheon meat SPAM, sued Jim Henson Productions to stop the creator of the Muppets from calling a character in a new movie Spa'am, claiming that the character was unclean and grotesque and would call into question the purity and quality of its meats. A federal court rejected Hormel's claims, and Hormel also lost on appeal.

• Mattel, Inc., the maker of Barbie, is waging an aggressive trademark war against unsanctioned use of the Barbie name, attacking the founders of the "Barbie Makes a Wish" weekend that raises money for critically ill children; artist Paul Hansen, sued for $1.2 billion for making $2,000 from the sale of his Exorcist Barbie, Tonya Harding Barbie, and Drag Queen Barbie; and Mike Grove, who distributes Sizzler toy cars to sick and dying children. Mattel made almost $4 billion in annual sales in 1996, but has filed copyright and trademark infringement suits against all three toy enthusiasts.

• In November 1995, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay snacks division filed a lawsuit against Procter & Gamble over advertisements claiming that Procter & Gamble's Pringle's Right Crisps Potato chips are "more nutritious than Frito-Lay's Chips."

• Coca-Cola, the producer of Minute Maid orange juice, sued Procter & Gamble charging that ads for Citrus Hill Select "falsely" claimed that the juice was made from the "heart" of the orange.

• In 1989 Walt Disney Company used a lawsuit to force a public apology from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for an "unflattering" representation of Snow White in the opening sequence of the 1989 Academy Awards ceremony.

• In 1980 the manufacturers of Haagen-Daz ice cream, in a suit against Frusen Gladje, tried to lay claim to the concept of premium ice cream with a "Scandinavian flair."