Zen Magnets, Denver, has been ordered to stop selling recalled magnetic balls after federal judge Christine M. Arguello of the U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction against the company.
The injunction bans the sale of 917,000 5 mm balls that Zen Magnets bought from Star Networks shortly before the magnets were recalled and proceeded to sell after the recall.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Department of Justice filed the suit against Zen Magnets and its owner, Shihan Qu, on May 5, 2015. The CPSC first sued Zen Magnets in 2012 in an effort to halt sales of its high-powered magnets.
The CPSC adopted a rule that went into effect April 20, 2015, after a temporary stay by Zen Magnets, that prohibits the sale of magnets and magnet sets with a high level of magnetic attraction that are small enough to be swallowed.
When two or more magnets are swallowed, it can lead to intestinal damage. Retaining attraction in the digestive system, the magnets damage, pinch and bind tissue that gets trapped between them.
According to CPSC, high-powered magnet sets were the cause of nearly 3,000 injuries that led to emergency room visits from 2009 through 2013, in addition to the death of a 19-month-old.
“Along with the U.S. Department of Justice, we will continue to move aggressively to enforce the law and protect consumers from the sale of recalled products, especially those that put children at risk,” said Elliot F. Kaye, CPSC chairman.
“We still hold the fundamental position that magnet spheres are not too dangerous for U.S. consumers to decide whether or not to purchase themselves,” Qu commented, according to The Denver Post. “We’re not about to back down anytime soon, regardless of the recent retaliatory actions against us.”
Zen Magnets stands as one of the last major magnetic ball companies in operation after Buckyballs stopped sales in 2012.
