>>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO DO THIS, THIS
HEARING. BOTH OF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE
DECISIONS MADE TODAY ARE LEGALLY BINDING?
>> YES. >> YES.
>> YES, SIR. >> GREAT.
MRS. WILLIAMS, YOU ARE FILING A CLAIM AGAINST YOUR FORMER
EMPLOYER, MERCK PHARMACEUTICALS WHERE YOU WORKED FOR THE PAST
22 YEARS. >> YES, SIR.
I'M SUING FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT BECAUSE THEY'VE
STOLEN MANY OF MY IDEAS, AND I AM ASKING FOR $20 MILLION IN
DAMAGES. >> THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
MRS. WILLIAMS WORKED IN ACCOUNTING.
NO ONE THERE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IDEAS.
>> SIR, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
IN DECEMBER, 2004, THIS COMPANY CREATED A DRUG CALLED
SEASONIQUE. WELL, BACK IN 1997, I HAD A
CHILD. SAY HELLO TO SEASONIQUE.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> HELLO.
>> YOUR NAME IS SEASONIQUE. >> YES, SIR.
MY BIRTH NAME IS SEASONIQUE BONIVA WILLIAMS.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> THAT'S RIGHT.
SEASONIQUE WAS BORN ON THE ONE SPECIAL DAY BETWEEN SPRING AND
SUMMER. [ LAUGHTER ]
SHE WAS SEASONIQUE. AND THAT IS NOT THE ONLY
EXAMPLE. THIS COMPANY HAS STOLEN DOZENS
OF NAMES, NAMED DOZENS OF DRUGS AFTER MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY.
>> UH, MRS. WILLIAMS -- >> PLEASE CALL ME LYRICA.
[ LAUGHTER ] THAT'S MY NAME, BUT ALSO AN
ANTI-EPILEPSY DRUG. >> THAT'S CERTAINLY INTERESTING.
>> PLEASE, WE HAVE A TEAM THAT NAMES OUR PRODUCTS ACCORDING TO
YEARS OF RESEARCH. THIS IS CLEARLY A COINCIDENCE.
>> OH, REALLY? LET'S LOOK AT SOME OTHER
EXAMPLES, SHALL WE? CELEXA.
>> THAT'S MY COUSIN. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> FEMARA. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> MY OTHER COUSIN. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> ELIQUIS, SHE LIVES DOWN THE WAY.
>> OVER THERE. >> CYMBALTA.
>> SHE IS TROUBLE, BUT SHE'S FUN.
>> MM-HMM. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> ALLEGRA. NOW SHE DOES MY HAIR, NOW SHE
DON'T HAVE A SHOP, SO I GO TO HER HOUSE WHERE SHE HAS A LITTLE
BABY NAMED LITTLE NICORETTE. [ LAUGHTER ]
SO YOU SEE, SIR, THESE PEOPLE AREN'T COMING UP WITH NEW DRUG
NAMES. THEY'RE JUST FLIPPING THROUGH
THE CONTACTS OF MY PHONE. >> THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE
EVIDENCE HERE. >> SIR, THIS IS JUST PAYBACK.
MRS. WILLIAMS WAS RECENTLY LAID OFF FROM MERCK, AND SHE'S
LOOKING FOR RETRIBUTION. >> YOU THINK SO?
WELL, LET ME BRING IN ONE OF MY CO-WORKERS, WHO'S STILL -- IS
EMPLOYED THERE TODAY. COME ON IN.
>> UH, AND YOU ARE? >> LUNESTRA.
[ LAUGHTER ] LUNESTRA CRESTOR HARRISON.
[ LAUGHTER ] AND I WORKED AT MERCK FOR
11 YEARS. BACK IN 2009, I FELL ASLEEP ON
MY COMPUTER KEYBOARD, AND TWO WEEKS LATER THIS COMPANY CAME
OUT WITH A SLEEP AID CALLED LUNESTRA.
[ LIGHT LAUGHTER ] THIS COMPANY HAS TAKEN THE NAMES
OF SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, INCLUDING MY
SISTER, PROPECIA. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> OR MY NEPHEW, DAYQUIL. >> WELL, I HAVE TO SAY THAT
SEEMS MORE THAN CIRCUMSTANTIAL. >> PERHAPS.
BUT EVEN IF IT WAS, THERE'S JUST NO PROOF HAVING THE SAME NAMES
AS THE DRUGS HAS CAUSED THE WOMEN ANY HARM.
>> REALLY? YOU THINK IT IS NICE TO BE
ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH CHOLESTEROL AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION?
[ LAUGHTER ] >> NO, IT'S TERRIBLE!
I'M SORRY. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> SEE? HE KNOWS THIS IS THE BIGGEST
CORPORATE INJUSTICE SINCE MY AUNT, ACTIVIA, WORKED AT THIS
YOGURT COMPANY. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> IT IS A TRAVESTY. OH, OH, I AM SORRY SIR.
I'M HAVING A LITTLE EPISODE. I NEED MY HUMIRA.
>> OH, THAT'S FINE. CAN WE GET YOU A CLASS OF WATER?
>> NO, HUMIRA ITS MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG.
SHE ALWAYS CALMS ME DOWN. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> YOU EVEN STOLE HER DOG! [ LAUGHTER ]
>> COME ON. >> OKAY, ALL RIGHT.
I HAVE TO SAY THE EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING.
>> OKAY. HER CLAIM HAS MERIT.
I AM AWARDING HER THE FULL AMOUNT IN DAMAGES.
THANK YOU ALL. >> SO WE GET THE MONEY.
I CAN FINALLY PUT TYLENOL THROUGH COLLEGE.
>> I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY STOLE THAT FROM YOU TOO.