PITTSBURGH — A Michigan food entrepreneur claims the “Little Dipper” condiment package he patented in 1997 led H.J. Heinz to develop its Dip & Squeeze ketchup packets, which it rolled out in February 2010, lawyers in opening statements told a federal court jury in Pittsburgh on Monday.

The trial, expected to last through Thursday, will determine whether or not Pittsburgh-based Heinz used David Wawrzynski’s “concrete, new and novel” ideas when it developed the dual-purpose ketchup packets.

“Heinz says it didn’t use any of Mr. Wawrzynski’s ideas — they thought it up all on their own,” his attorney, Eugene Boyle Jr. told the jury. “We’re here to tell you that’s not true.”

Boyle told The Associated Press he can’t say how much Wawrzynski is seeking because an expert hired to calculate the sum hasn’t issued a final report.

But Heinz attorney David Wolfsohn said Heinz owes nothing because the Dip & Squeeze owes nothing to the cone-shaped container that Wawrzynski invented. Drawings of two versions of that product were shown to the jury, including one with a keyhole-shaped opening that enables a person to dip a french fry into ketchup, while wiping off excess amounts as it’s pulled out of the opening.

Wawrzynski isn’t claiming Heinz copied the exact design.

Rather, he contends Heinz didn’t have the idea for a ketchup container that could be dipped into and squeezed until they heard his pitch. Wolfsohn denied that claim.