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The Environmental Protection Agency has fined Logitech Inc. $261,000 for advertising that one of its keyboards protects users from bacteria and microbes, the agency announced last week.
While the keyboard incorporates the pesticide AgION silver compound, the EPA stated the pesticide protects only the keyboard itself from deterioration caused by microbes. The fine is for marketing that implies the protection extends to the user.
"Products that kill or repel bacteria or germs and/or claim to do so are considered pesticides, and must be registered with the EPA before their sale or distribution, pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act," according to the EPA statement.
Any pitch that indicates a product is antibacterial or has a germ-resistant or bacteria-resistant surface requires that the product be registered with the EPA as a pesticide product, according to the agency's notice to manufacturers. Otherwise, the claims are limited to indicating that the item is treated to protect the product from deterioration.
The EPA said the complaint originated from evidence it collected online and at Logitech's Fremont facility in 2008 and targets the "cordless desktop MX3200 laser keyboard."
Two old reviews, one from CNET and one from Gizmodo, indicate that the MX3200 retailed for around $100, and both tout the antimicrobial benefits of the AgION coating.
Other types of treated products that are required to avoid any explicit or implied public health claims in their advertising include toothbrushes, children's toys, sponges and pillows, according to the EPA.
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