A team of ice cream 'hackers' who tried to fix McDonalds' McFlurry machines are suing the fast food giant for $900million (£805m).
Melissa Nelson and Jeremy O'Sullivan are the cofounders of Kytch, a startup which created an internet-connected gadget that stopped McDonalds ice cream machines from breaking down.
They claim that, amid rapidly growing sales to McDonalds franchises around the world, the corporation sent emails to all restaurants claiming the devices coukd lead to 'serious human injury'.
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The pair have argued in a legal complaint that McDonalds was not only defamatory towards their product, but anti-competitive as they used the same emails to promote a new ice cream machine built by a longtime manufacturing partner.
Arguing that McDonalds ice cream machines are famous for breaking, Ms Nelson said: "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.
"McDonalds had every reason to know that Kytch was safe and didn't have any issues. It was not dangerous, like they claimed. And so we're suing them."
Kytch's gadget apparently helped around 500 McDonalds branches with their ice cream machines, and was doubling its sales every three months before McDonalds ordered franchises to get rid of their product.
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McDonalds told WIRED it "owes it to our customers, crew and franchisees to maintain our rigorous safety standards and work with fully vetted suppliers in that pursuit."
It added: "Kytch's claims are meritless, and we'll respond to the complaint accordingly."
McDonalds also previously told WIRED it believed the gadgets could injure someone operating the ice cream machines if turned on remotely.
However, Kytch claims this was unfounded, and that McDonalds went on to warn other companies like Burger King to not buy Kytch's products.
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