A PYMNTS Company

Canada/US: Keurig hit with new anticompetitive charges

By  |  October 1, 2014

Keurig is in the midst of a legal battle over its practice of banning rivals’ coffee pods from working in its single-serve coffee machines, but the company is now facing a new antitrust fight.

According to reports, Canada-based Club Coffee announced it had filed a lawsuit against Keurig Green Mountain for its “lock-out” technology found on its new machines that prohibit the use of rival, cheaper coffee pods.

Club Coffee claims Keurig spread “baseless and disparaging lies” about rival coffee products – reportedly claiming that Club Coffee products would damage Keurig machines – and unfairly forced exclusive agreements onto third parties. Club Coffee is seeing about $600 million in damages.

The lawsuit is a follow-on case after Rogers Family Co. filed similar claims against the K-Cup maker. That case continues.

Full content: Reuters

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.