Kona Coffee Farmers Seek First Nod for Last False-Ad Settlement

Kona, Hawaii, coffee farmers asked a federal judge to preliminarily approve a $12 million class settlement with retailer MNS Ltd., the last remaining nonbankrupt defendant in false-ad litigation over the highly desired Kona brew.

The growers sued various companies in 2019 under the Lanham Act, alleging the defendants misleadingly portrayed ordinary coffee as Kona coffee. Their suit, filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleged that deceptive marketing caused a drop in demand and price for authentic Kona coffee.

• Kroger, Safeway Inc./Albertsons Co., and Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Ltd. previously finalized settlements with the growers, ...