Lorna Jane taken to court over claims its leggings would protect wearer from getting COVID-19

Activewear company Lorna Jane is being taken to court over claims its leggings could prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission filed the proceedings in the Federal Court on Monday.

The court action came after the Therapeutic Goods Association fined the company $40,000 after allegedly claiming its activewear ‘protected against viruses and germs’ in July. 

The ‘Anti-virus activewear’ range was launched in July 2020 and sprayed with ‘LJ Shield’, which the company claimed provided protection against COVID-19. 

Activewear company Lorna Jane is being taken to court for claims its leggings stopped spread of COVID-19 (pictured, founder Lorna Jane Clarkson)

The ‘Anti-virus activewear’ range was launched in July 2020 and sprayed with ‘LJ Shield’, which the company claimed provided protection against COVID-19

Advertisements in stores and online featured phrases such as: ‘Cure for the Spread of COVID-19? Lorna Jane Thinks So’ and ‘With Lorna Jane Shield on our garments it meant that we were completely eliminating the possibility of spreading any deadly viruses’. 

The claims were pulled from promotions in mid-July, however some garment tags still included the supposed benefit of the product. 

‘It is particularly concerning that allegedly misleading claims that Lorna Jane’s LJ Shield Activewear could eliminate the spread of COVID-19 were made at a time when there was fear about a second wave emerging in Australia, especially in Victoria, and all Australians were concerned about being exposed to the virus,’ ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said. 

The ACCC also alleged that the company asserted there was scientific evidence to support these claims when there was not.

It will also be alleged that founder and director – Lorna Jane Clarkson – made misleading claims in a media release and on social media.   

The ACCC is seeking declarations, penalties, injunctions, corrective notices and an order to implement a compliance program. 

It comes after the Therapeutic Goods Association fined the company $40,000 after allegedly claiming its activewear ‘protected against viruses and germs’ in July

The claims were pulled in mid-July, however some garment tags included the supposed use of the product (pictured, model in Lorna Jane clothing)

A spokesperson for Lorna Jane denied they were trying to take advantage of the environment of fear when they were fined by the Therapeutic Goods Association in July. 

‘We started working on this technology at the start of the year when we named it… we didn’t want to mislead anyone,’ the spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Lorna Jane for comment.