Nespresso 'capsule war' grinds on with Swiss lawsuit

Nespresso 'capsule war' grinds on with Swiss lawsuit

Nespresso sought for several years to keep capsules compatible with its coffee machines off the market
Nespresso sought for several years to keep capsules compatible with its coffee machines off the market. Photo: TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP/File
Source: AFP

A French television star and a group of investors are demanding 280 million Swiss francs ($330 million) from Nespresso after the failure of a company that tried to offer a more sustainable alternative to the aluminium capsules sold by the coffee-pod maker.

Show host Jacques Essebag, who goes by the name Arthur, is leading the suit against the Nestle subsidiary, the group's lawyer Francois Besse told AFP on Tuesday, confirming a report in the Swiss daily 24 heures.

The suit groups 11 creditors of Ethical Coffee Company (ECC), which was founded in 2008 by a former Nespresso executive to make cheaper biodegradable capsules that were compatible with Nespresso machines.

ECC ceased activity in 2017 and went into bankruptcy in 2018 after facing repeated legal complaints from Nespresso, in what came to be known as the capsule war.

Read also

Sixt to buy up to 250,000 Stellantis cars

Nespresso won a blocking order on ECC just days after it began offering its capsules at an appliance chain store in 2011, and it was three years before it was lifted. By that time, other competitors had entered the market.

Legal struggles continued for years after that, according to Besse. The investor group is seeking damages and interest.

PAY ATTENTION: Watch the hottest celebrity stories on our YouTube channel 'Briefly TV'. Subscribe now!

Nespresso, when contacted by AFP, acknowledged the lawsuit filed by ECC but said it did not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

Besse wouldn't reveal Arthur's stake in ECC, but 24 heures said he'd spent 8 million euros between 2009 and 2010 for a five percent holding.

Nespresso had revenue of 6.4 billion Swiss francs in 2022, and dominates the market, especially after reaching an agreement with American coffee chain Starbucks in 2018 to sell capsules under its name in supermarkets.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.