Tech Times had previously reported that Atari sued Nestlé for copyright infringement for using a Breakout clone without permission in a KitKat television advertisement that aired in the United Kingdom in 2016, but it seems the trouble has just started for the company.
In a class action lawsuit filed by 11 plaintiffs in Federal court, Nestlé was sued again for another one of its products. This time, plaintiffs allege that Nestlé is committing a "colossal fraud" for marketing its bottled Poland Spring Water as natural spring water when it is actually just regular ground water.
The Spring Water That Isn't Really
According to the lawsuit, "not even one drop" of Poland Spring meets the definition of spring water set by the Food and Drugs Administration and that the eight springs the company supposedly sources the water from have either dried up or are non-existent.
While the Poland Spring brand really collects its water from Maine, the plaintiffs say that the actual sources are wells drilled in some of the state's most populous counties, contrary to what its label suggests.
The FDA defines spring water as water that is "derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth at an identified location," but the lawsuit claims that there is no historical proof that Poland Spring still exists.
"The famous Poland Spring in Poland Spring, Maine, which Defendant's labels claim is a source of Poland Spring Water, ran dry nearly 50 years ago," the lawsuit states.
The complainants added that the "natural springs" Nestle claims to source water from were all faked by causing well water to flow artificially through pipes.
The plaintiffs argue that Nestle Waters North America has willfully mislabeled its product as spring water to be able to charge consumers more per bottle.
The claim may seem strange but the company actually settled a similar complaint in 2003 in which it agreed to give $8 million in consumer discounts plus charitable donations.
Nestle Responds To The Lawsuit
Nestle does not seem bothered by the new lawsuit at all and even noted in a statement that the company is confident about both its product and the company's legal standing on the issue.
"Poland Spring is 100% spring water. It meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations defining spring water, all state regulations governing spring classification for standards of identity, as well as all federal and state regulations governing spring water collection, good manufacturing practices, product quality, and labeling," the statement reads.
