Will HSN’s Vitamin Maven Andrew Lessman Skewer ShopNBC’s New Nutrition Expert, The Wizard Of Oz, In His Blog?

ShopNBC is getting its own vitamin guru, its answer to HSN’s Andrew Lessman.

Nationally recognized nutritionist Dr. Oz Garcia will introduce his new proprietary line, Vivantage Supplements, to ShopNBC in a sneak peek this Monday, the network said Friday.

Now the question is will Lessman take pot shots at Garcia in his blog the way he did at QVC’s supplements, criticism that prompted QVC to sue Lessman.

Nutritionist to the stars Oz Garcia

And where does this leave HSN refugee Suzanne Somers and her nuitritional supplement line, which ShopNBC also sells?

Garcia is a best-selling author and who was twice voted “Best Nutritionist” by New York Magazine, ShopNBC said in its press release. The network will be have a preview offer ready before the line’s full launch in later in September.

The line will premiere on ShopNBC Monday and Tuesday.

Garcia is going to give us the dope about how Vivantage can help deliver the nutrients that many of us do not get from diet alone. With more than 25 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, Garcia will explain how the products in Vivantage help provide a complete and balanced vitamin and supplement program.

“The elements in Vivantage include the highest quality supplements available in today’s marketplace and are designed with targeted, research-based formulas that work together for a healthier lifestyle,” the ShopNBC PR machine said.

Those are the kinds of claims that might get Lessman riled up. QVC tried, and failed, to get an injunction to stop Lessman from blasting its supplements in his blog.

ShopNBC is offering four different options of the 30-Day Trial Size of the Multi-Vitamin sneak peek will be offered to customers: a multivitamin pack for men and women aged under 50 and over 50.

Judge Rules HSN Vitamin Hawker Andrew Lessman Can Be Even Nastier Than Us In His Blogs About QVC

We’re late on this one folks, but it’s pretty juicy — and important to a blogger like The Homeshoppingista. QVC has lost the first round in its suit to bar HSN vitamin purveyor Andrew Lessman from blasting QVC’s vitamins and dietary supplements in his blog.

We got a tip on this Thursday from our ex-colleague Linda H. on the Left Coast, and than saw that MediaPost wrote about it earlier this week, as did Georgetown University law school professor Rebecca Tushnet on her blog.

U.S. District Court Judge Sue Robinson refused to issue a preliminary injunction and restraining order against Lessman. He may be a very charming, easy-going fellow on-air but his blogs on QVC make our snarky commens about the No. 1 home shopping network look like press releases.

For example, in January he blogged that QVC’s Nature Code brand hair, skin and nail supplement “isn’t healthy…it is just sleazy and deceptive.”

For good measure, he added, that QVC’s “lack of integrity is totally in keeping with the lack of quality of their vitamins.”

Part of Lessman's HSN line

And there’s a hell of a lot more mud-slinging along those lines. Read the good professor’s blog for more details on that. Needless to say, QVC was not happy, and filed suit in February in federal court in Delaware.

Lessman does have an ax to grind. He started his TV career selling his products on QVC in 1992, but defected to rival HSN in 1997. Here’s some dish: Lessman was in talks to return to QVC earlier this year, but they fell through. Not coincidentally, that’s when Lessman started dissing QVC in his blog.

We haven’t read the judge’s ruling, so what we know about it is from the professor and MediaPost. But Judge Robinson found that even though Lessman’s nasty blogs about QVC could be misleading, QVC never proved to the court that the comments actually confused consumers. No proof of confusion, no injunction.

But QVC can still continue with its suit against Lessman, it just can’t have an injunction at this point.

We think the court’s ruling is a good one for bloggers like us and the First Amendment, but let’s see what happens if the case makes it to trial.