Apple lawsuits

Today in Apple history: Intel and Microsoft face lawsuit for stealing Apple code

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Apple vs. Microsoft was one of the big tech battles of the 1990s.
Apple vs. Microsoft was one of the biggest tech battles of the 1990s.
Photo: Brian Turner/Flickr CC/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

February 14: Today in Apple history: Intel and Microsoft face lawsuit for stealing Apple code February 14, 1995: Apple Computer extends a lawsuit against developer San Francisco Canyon Company to include Microsoft and Intel. The lawsuit concerns allegedly stolen Apple code that’s used to improve Microsoft’s Video for Windows technology.

The lawsuit comes to a head with Apple threatening a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Microsoft. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates threatens to cancel Office for Mac.

Today in Apple history: Unauthorized Apple II clone sparks big legal battle

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The Franklin Ace 1200 was, in some ways, a literal copy of the Apple II.
The Franklin Ace 1200 was, in some ways, a literal copy of the Apple II.
Photo: Bugbookmuseum

January 18: Today in Apple history: Franklin's unauthorized Apple II clone, the Franklin Ace 1200, sparks legal battle January 18, 1983: Computer manufacturer Franklin Electronic Publishers takes the wraps off its Franklin Ace 1200 computer, an unauthorized Apple II clone that triggers an important legal battle.

Cupertino will soon target Franklin’s line of unlicensed clone computers with a lawsuit. In the resulting trial, a U.S. court will decide whether a company can protect its operating system by copyright.

Today in Apple history: Apple battles Eminem in court

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Eminem sues Apple over digital music sales. Will the real rights holder please stand up!
Will the real rights holder please stand up!
Photo: Apple

September 24: Today in Apple history: Apple battles Eminem in court September 24, 2009: Apple lawyers head to court to defend the company against rapper Eminem’s music publisher, Eight Mile Style.

The lawsuit alleges that Apple unlawfully sold 93 of Eminem’s songs on the iTunes Music Store. This is the second time Apple finds itself on the opposite side of a courtroom from the Detroit rapper. (A previous lawsuit involved improper use of Eminem’s hit single “Lose Yourself” in an iTunes ad.)

Today in Apple history: Tide turns against Apple in war with Microsoft

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Mac vs. PC
A judge's decision proves very damaging to Apple.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

August 14: Today in Apple history: Tide turns against Apple in war with Microsoft August 14, 1991: As Apple and Microsoft head to court to battle each other, the tide begins to turn against Cupertino and its claims that Windows unlawfully copies the look and feel of Mac OS.

The case concerns whether key elements of Apple’s operating system are original enough for copyright protection. The decision turns out to be a major blow against Apple — and the start of the company’s 1990s decline.

Today in Apple history: Apple pays $450 million to settle e-books suit

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iBooks
Apple was accused of trying to hurt rival e-book sellers.
Photo: Apple

July 16: Today in Apple history: Apple settles e-books lawsuit for $450 million July 16, 2014: Apple agrees to pay $450 million to resolve the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against the company over e-book pricing in the iBooks Store.

Cupertino stood accused of conspiring with five major book publishers to fix e-book prices. The five publishers all settled their claims outside of court, leaving only Apple to go to trial.

Today in Apple history: Eddy Cue takes the stand to defend iBooks pricing

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ibooks_cloud_2x
Eddy Cue took the stand to testify about Apple's e-book pricing in a 2013 antitrust trial targeting the iBooks Store.
Photo: Apple

June 13: Today in Apple history: Eddy Cue takes the stand to defend iBooks pricing June 13, 2013: Apple exec Eddy Cue takes the stand to defend the company’s iBooks business strategy in an antitrust case regarding e-book pricing.

Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, runs the iBooks Store initiative. His testimony proves vital to a case brought by the Department of Justice, in which potential damages climb well into the nine figures.

Today in Apple history: Apple goes to war with The Beatles again

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Beatles
The Beatles' clash with Apple ran for almost 30 years.
Photo: Apple Corps

March 30: Today in Apple history: Apple goes to war with The Beatles again March 30, 2006: A court case begins that once again pits Apple Computer against Apple Corps, aka The Beatles’ record label and holding company.

The lawsuit caps a long-running legal battle between the two wealthy companies. It’s the final fight in an epic legal battle over music, technology and money.

Apple and Koss avoid trial by settling AirPods-related patent dispute

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Apple and Koss settled the dispute just two days ahead of the trial.
Apple and Koss settled the dispute just two days ahead of the trial.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Court documents submitted Saturday indicate Apple settled a patent-infringement lawsuit related to AirPods with audio manufacturer Koss.

The company had accused the maker of AirPods and Beats earbuds and headphones of infringing on Koss wireless headphone technology patents.

Apple will pay $50 million to settle ‘butterfly’ keyboard class-action lawsuit

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MacBook butterfly keyboard
You might be in for some money if you had problems with a MacBook butterfly keyboard.
Photo: Apple

Apple agreed to a preliminary settlement Monday for a class-action lawsuit that claimed the company knew the MacBook’s “butterfly” keyboard was defective but kept selling it. Apple admits no wrongdoing but agreed to pay up to $50 million, most of which will go to customers who had to replace the faulty keyboards.

This is good news for people in seven U.S. states who experienced problems with their MacBook butterfly keyboard.

Class-action lawsuit claims Apple Pay blocks competition

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The lawsuit alleges that Apple Pay blocks the competition from tap-to-pay.
The lawsuit alleges that Apple Pay blocks the competition from tap-to-pay.
Photo: Apple

Apple violates U.S. antitrust law by making sure Apple Pay is the only e-wallet way to tap to pay via an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch, a new class-action lawsuit filed Monday alleges.

The complaint says Apple profits illegally to the tune of $1 billion a year or more by blocking competitors like Google Pay and Samsung Pay from offering tap-to-pay transactions on Apple devices.

Apple lawsuit alleges startup poached engineers who stole chip secrets

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Apple's lawsuit against Rivos alleges recruited engineers stole proprietary information.
Apple's lawsuit against Rivos alleges recruited engineers stole proprietary M1 chip information.
Photo: Apple

Apple filed a lawsuit Friday against a “stealth mode” startup known as Rivos, saying it poached engineers who stole proprietary information as part of the recruitment process.

Cupertino said Rivos plans to design chips that will compete with its own — and starting with Apple’s own technology.

Apple sues maker of infamous Pegasus spyware that targets iPhones

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Pegasus spyware FAQ
Apple is going to court to block further development of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.
Photo: NSO Group/Cult of Mac

Apple filed a lawsuit Tuesday against NSO Group, the company that makes Pegasus spyware used by some countries to hack into iPhones. Apple says the goal is to hold NSO Group “accountable for the surveillance and targeting of Apple users.”

NSO Group claims Pegasus is only used by governments to fight crime, but there are accusations that it’s being used it to hack the smartphones of activists, politicians, journalists and other individuals.

‘Duplicitous conduct’ earns Fortnite extended App Store ban

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Epic Games v. Apple is just getting started
If you thought the war between Apple and epic Games was over, think again.
Graphic: Epic Games/Cult of Mac

The first phase of the legal war between Apple and Epic Games is over, and a Federal court agreed with the game developer in some of the major points in their lawsuit. But Apple refuses to reinstate Fortnite and other Epic titles to its App Store during the appeals process.

The iPhone maker says this is the result of “Epic’s duplicitous conduct” leading to the lawsuit.

Lawyers prepare class-action lawsuit over M1 MacBook screen cracks

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M1 MacBook screen cracks lead to lawsuit. Look out, Cupertino.
Look out, Cupertino.
Photo: Quinn Dombrowski/Flickr CC

Apple could soon be on the receiving end of another class-action lawsuit, with lawyers currently investigating the company over reports that its new M1 MacBook models are vulnerable to screen cracks during normal usage.

A growing number of users complain in online forums that their MacBook displays suffered what the attorneys call “dramatic cracks,” despite not being mishandled. Many say they spent upward of $600 on repairs.

Class-action lawsuit accuses App Store of overcharging 20 million customers

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App Store
Apple allegedly overcharged customers by $2 billion.
Photo: Apple

Legal action taken against Apple in the United Kingdom could see the company have to repay close to 20 million customers for allegedly overcharging them.

A landmark class-action lawsuit argues that Apple’s 30% commission on App Store purchases bilked customers out of more than $2 billion over a number of years. The plaintiffs want Apple to repay the money it supposedly owes.

Apple says it doesn’t have Scott Forstall’s phone number

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Scott Forstall 2
Scott Forstall left Apple in 2012 after the Apple Maps debacle.
Photo: Philosophy Talk

It wasn’t all that long ago that Scott Forstall, Apple’s former SVP of iOS software, was being talked about as a possible CEO successor to Steve Jobs. Then came the disastrous Apple Maps launch in 2012, and Forstall’s subsequent departure from the company.

Forstall has shown up a couple of times since then, but otherwise maintained a low profile. Now, as unearthed by the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit, the Cupertino company says it doesn’t even have a current phone number for Forstall — only a Twitter account and P.O. Box reference.

Batterygate strikes again: Consumer group sues Apple over planned obsolescence

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iPhone camera
Batterygate issue has been raging for a few years now.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Italian consumer association Altroconsumo launched a massive class-action lawsuit against Apple on Monday, seeking 60 million euros ($73 million) for the alleged planned obsolescence of iPhones.

Specifically, the suit mentions the iPhone 6 and 6s generation of devices. Apple used a software update to slow down these phones’ performance, resulting in the “Batterygate” controversy.

“Planned obsolescence is a deliberate unfair practice to consumers that causes frustration and financial harm,” Els Bruggerman, head of policy and enforcement for consumer right’s group Euroconsumers, told Cult of Mac. (Altroconsumo is a part of Euroconsumers.) “In November 2020, Apple ​announced that it will pay $113 million to settle allegations that it slowed down iPhones to mask battery issues. That settlement clearly demonstrates that Apple resorted to planned obsolescence as a deliberate attempt to increase renewal of phone, hide issues and deceive consumers.”

Apple says it slowed down the iPhones to preserve battery life and avoid crashes of older devices. Between 2014 and 2020, Apple sold approximately 1 million of iPhone 6 and 6s models in Italy alone.

‘Batterygate’ rumbles on as European class-action suit demands damages

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iphone
Issue affected older iPhones.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Blame an iOS update if you’d like, but Apple’s iPhone speed-throttling saga continues to progress slowly. The latest update is legal action being leveled at Apple in Europe in the form of a class-action lawsuit for iPhone 6 and 6s series devices sold in Belgium, Spain, Italy and Portugal.

The advocacy group behind the suit, Euroconsumers, said Wednesday that it is bringing a case to cover up to 2 million handsets that fall under this category. “Consumers are increasingly upset by products wearing out too quickly, the iPhone 6 models being a very concrete example of that,” Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers, said in a statement.

Apple settles multistate ‘Batterygate’ investigation for $113 million

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iPhone batteries
Batterygate is long over, but Apple is still dealing with the repercussions of a severe lapse in judgement.
Photo: iFixIt

Apple came to a settlement with a group of U.S. state attorneys general over 2017’s “Batterygate.” The iPhone-maker will pay $113 million spread around 30 states to end the investigation.

This comes closer to ending Apple’s problems resulting from not telling customers it was throttling the performance of older iPhones to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down.

Class-action lawsuit accuses Apple of benefiting from iTunes gift card scams

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iTunes
iTunes scams have gone on for years. Unfortunately, people still fall for them.
Photo: Apple

Apple faces a class-action lawsuit from customers who fell victim to an iTunes gift card scam that they claim the company benefited from.

The scam has been around for a number of years. It frequently involves people being phoned up and asked for money by the fraudsters claiming to be from the Inland Revenue Service (or another governmental department). The scammers ask the victims to pay money owed by buying iTunes vouchers and then handing over the authorization codes.

How to get your $25 ‘Batterygate’ settlement from Apple

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iPhone
Did you own an iPhone throttled by Apple? If so, you could get a $25 check.
Photo: andri333/Pixabay CC

If you owned an iPhone that took a performance hit after a controversial iOS update, Apple might owe you $25. The payments follow Apple’s settlement of a class-action lawsuit over “Batterygate.”

However, to get your check, your claim must be received by October 6, 2020. Find out how to apply for a Batterygate payment, and exactly what you need to qualify, below.

Lawsuit accusing Apple of concealing slowing 2018 iPhone demand gets go-ahead

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2018 interview with Tim Cook suggests Apple was working on iCloud backup encryption
A shareholder lawsuit accuses Apple and CEO Tim Cook of making “materially false and misleading” statements about iPhone XS demand.
Photo: Apple

Apple must defend in court bullish statements made by CEO Tim Cook and other executives about 2018 iPhone demand. iPhone sales were actually slowing at the time, leading to a drop in the company’s share price.

A judge ruled Tuesday that a shareholder lawsuit accusing the company of deliberately misleading investors can go ahead.

Apple pays $18 million to settle lawsuit saying it broke FaceTime on older devices

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FaceTime
Lawsuit argued Apple broke FaceTime on older devices.
Photo: Apple

Apple agreed to pay $18 million to claimants in a California class-action lawsuit that argued Cupertino broke FaceTime on older iPhone devices to save money.

The court filing, made Monday, means that members of the class action each will receive a whopping $3 for their troubles. However, that amount could increase if some members fail to cash their checks. The remainder of the money will cover lawyer fees and other costs.

Apple sues former App Store manager over book that spills insider secrets

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Apple's not happy about former Apple employee Tom Sadowski's new book, App Store Confidential.
Apple's not happy about the new book App Store Confidential.
Photo: Murmann Verlag

Apple is suing former German App Store manager Tom Sadowski and his publisher over App Store Confidential, a new book that reveals “business secrets” Apple says Sadowski wasn’t legally allowed to disclose.

Cupertino’s lawyers are asking Sadowski and publisher Murmann Verlag to destroy all manuscripts of the German-language book, and to recall any copies currently in circulation. Apple says the book contains information that is of “considerable economic value” to the company.