3M (NYSE:MMM) has reached a settlement ending one of its lawsuits against companies selling marked-up N95 respirator masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the filing, dated June 18, 3M moved to dismiss its case against TAC2 Global, a Clearwater, Fla.-based company that “specializes in an extensive selection of specialized tactical gear, ballistic protection and apparel,” according to its website.
In federal court in Tampa, Fla., 3M originally sued TAC2 Global LLC for allegedly trying to sell the Florida Department of Management Services State Emergency Operations Center 5 million to 10 million N95 respirators and hand sanitizer at highly inflated prices. TAC2 falsely claimed to be a 3M supplier, according to 3M.
The companies reached a settlement, for which details were not released, and filed a notice to cancel a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for today.
TAC2 Global was one of five companies that 3M announced it was suing for price-gouging on masks at the end of April, and one of 10 in total that month.
Earlier this month, when announcing a suit against an Amazon seller charging inflated prices for fake, defective and damaged N95 masks, 3M said it has already filed more than a dozen lawsuits against fraud, price gouging and counterfeiting, winning five temporary restraining orders and four preliminary injunction orders.
The company also said that, amid the pandemic, the prices of its N95 respirators remains the same. So far, 3M has secured the removal of more than 3,000 websites with fraudulent or counterfeit product offerings, more than 4,000 deceptive social media posts and more than 100 deceptive internet addresses.
