More heat over McDonald’s ice cream machines
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McDonald's became famous for its burgers and fries, but the fast-food giant’s ice cream dilemma is now garnering infamy.
Technology company Kytch, which devised a solution to Mickey D’s notoriously unreliable ice cream machines, on Tuesday filed suit against McDonald’s, alleging it defamed and harmed Kytch’s business.
Kytch co-founder Melissa Nelson was quoted by Wired magazine as saying: "They've tarnished our name. They scared off our customers and ruined our business. They were anti-competitive. They lied about a product that they said would be released."
Kytch’s small device would allow remote monitoring - handheld or web – of the ice cream machine’s internal operations, with the goal of eliminating or minimizing losses and repairs.
The devices were piloted in 500 franchises until McDonald’s ordered them removed, alleging that the Kytch devices not only violated the ice cream machines’ warranties and intercepted their "confidential information" but also posed a safety threat and could lead to “serious human injury.”
Kytch’s legal complaint against McDonald's accuses the company of false advertising and tortious interference in its contracts with customers. Kytch's co-founders, Ms. Nelson and Jeremy O'Sullivan, are asking for no less than $900 million in damages.
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