by Freedonia Industry Studies
June 11, 2020
3M, the leading supplier of N95 respirators which can block 95% of very small particles including droplets containing COVID-19 novel coronavirus, filed another lawsuit on Monday. The company has issued dozens to date alleging price gouging, trademark infringement, and false advertising. The newest lawsuit is against a reseller who is alleged to have offered 3M masks for more than 18 times their list price.
N95 masks have been considered essential equipment among front line responders and healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the market has been flooded by subpar products, including counterfeit 3M branded products, many of which have been offered at excessively high prices.
In addition to filing these lawsuits, 3M has been working with technology companies to remove more than 3,000 offers for masks it believes to be counterfeit that have appeared on various social media and other e-commerce platforms.
For more information, see The Freedonia Group’s COVID-19 impact reports on Global Disposable Masks & Respirators, Global Medical Face Shields, Global Disposable Medical Gloves, and Global Industrial & Institutional Disinfectants & Sanitizers.