Legal

China’s media administrative wing sues Apple over 1990s war film

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

A subsidiary of China's broadcasting regulator is taking Apple to court over showing a propaganda film which was released back in the 1990s, reports The Associated Press. The plaintiff—Movie Satellite Channel Program Production Center, which comes under the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television—alleges that the iPhone maker has infringed its exclusive online rights to broadcast its movie which depicts Chinese fighting against Japanese soldiers in northern China in the early 1930s.

Apple responds to Spotify’s “anti-competitive” accusation, talks app rejection

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 1, 2016

Spotify's letter sent earlier this week to Apple’s legal counsel Bruce Sewell and some Congressional staff in Washington, D.C. didn't sit well with Apple's legal team and its top lawyer.

Today, the Cupertino firm issued a response to address claims that it's been using the power of its ecosystem and the app review process as a “weapon” to stifle competition by rejecting the latest Spotify for iOS update, which “caused grave harm to Spotify and its customers”.

Firing back at Spotify in a three-page letter obtained by BuzzFeed News, Apple accused the Swedish streaming-music startup of “resorting to rumors and half-truths”, slammed it for asking for “preferential treatment” and set the record straight on the app rejection.

Korea’s watchdog is investigating Apple for possible anti-competitive practices

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 28, 2016

Reuters reports that Apple is currently under fire in South Korea as the country's antitrust regulator launches an investigation into “some matters”, without disclosing further details. Jeong Jae-chan, the head of the anti-competition body, said during a parliamentary hearing Tuesday that the agency was taking a closer look at Apple's business practices in the country.

According to local media, the agency was reviewing details of Apple's contracts with South Korean wireless carriers earlier this month.

Judge tosses ‘Error 53’ lawsuit against Apple out of the window

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 21, 2016

A United States district court judge has tossed so-called 'Error 53' lawsuit against Apple out of the window on grounds that the plaintiffs “lack standing to pursue injunctive relief”. The plaintiffs argued that the iOS 9 software update causing certain devices with a faulty Touch ID or Home button, like the iPhone 6, to be bricked has resulted in permanent data loss.

They were unable, however, to frame the argument in court a legal loss.

Beijing court orders iPhone 6 sales ban over patent infringement, Apple to appeal ruling

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Apple just hit yet another roadblock in China with news that the Beijing Intellectual Property Office (BJIPO) has ordered the company to halt sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on the grounds that the Apple handset copied the design of the 100C smartphone, which is being produced by Shenzhen Baili, one of China's phone vendors.

Apple has confirmed that it will challenge the sales ban by appealing to the Beijing Higher People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Court.

VoIP-Pal slaps Apple with $2.8 billion lawsuit over patent used in FaceTime and iMessage

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 23, 2017

Voice over IP (VoIP), a technology for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over the Internet, is at the heart of an unbelievable $2.8 billion patent infringement lawsuit that VoIP-Pal, a Bellevue-based company, filed this morning against the iPhone maker.

“We are confident the current good will on both sides will result in a favorable outcome for all parties involved,” said VoIP-Pal CEO Emil Malak in a prepared statement.

Apple barred from using the term Split View in India over alleged trademark infringement

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 8, 2016

iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan have brought out several new multitasking modes on compatible iPads and Macs, including a split-screen feature referred to as Split View. That term is now under fire by the Delhi High Court which has ordered Apple to stop actively using and marketing Split View in India over an alleged trademark infringement.

The infringement claim was filed by a company called Vyooh, a Microsoft vendor, which owns the trademark for the name ‘SplitView’, reports The Indian Times.

Apple will pay $450 million fine in e-book case as Supreme Court declines to hear appeal

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 7, 2016

Apple's legal battle with the United States government over alleged price fixing in an e-book antitrust case has now come to an end after nearly three years.

As the United States Supreme Court has declined to hear Apple's appeal, the iPhone maker will have to pay a $450 million fine to settle its long-standing federal court case with class action lawyers and state district attorneys.

Bloomberg reported Monday that the justices turned away Apple's appeal without comment. Apple has been found to have conspired with major book publishers and orchestrated a scheme to raise prices of electronic books on the iBooks Store.

Here’s what Apple’s chief lawyer will tell Congress tomorrow regarding FBI’s controversial request

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 29, 2016

As you know, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has obtained a court order demanding that Apple produce a special version of iOS with decreased security to help government spooks brute-force their way into an iPhone 5c which belonged to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook.

Following the interview that Apple CEO Tim Cook gave to ABC News, in which he said that the government is asking for “the software equivalent of cancer,” Apple's Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Bruce Sewell, will testify before the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow.

Here's his opening statement in which he challenges the government's request and argues that the FBI should have no say over the products American companies create.

Apple vehemently opposes FBI request to create iPhone backdoor in San Bernardino court case

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 17, 2016

Apple is vehemently opposing the FBI's request to create a backdoor in iOS that would permit authorities to access encrypted data on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. In an open letter to all customers posted on the company's website, CEO Tim Cook acknowledges that Apple believes that the FBI's intentions are good and makes note of the fact that his company has done “everything that is both within our power and within the law” to help the authorities.

“But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create,” he wrote. “They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone.”

Law firm moving forward with class action lawsuit over ‘Error 53’ iPhone bricking

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 12, 2016

Seattle-based law firm Pfau Cochran Vertexes Amala (PCVA) has decided to follow through with plans to drag Apple to court over software safeguards in iOS which have been specifically designed to render iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets inoperable after unauthorized Touch ID and Home button repairs.

As first noted by AppleInsider yesterday, the pending class action lawsuit was filed with with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging the Cupertino firm has “gone too far” in employing the extreme measure of bricking users' handsets without any advance warning.

Error 53: Apple could get sued over iPhone bricking

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 9, 2016

'Error 53,' the infamous cryptic message that appears on an iPhone after iOS 9 renders the device inoperable due to an unauthorized Home button repair, is attracting attention of top law firms which are reportedly considering taking Apple to court over the snafu, reports The Guardian.

“At least one firm of US lawyers said it hopes to bring a class action against the technology giant on behalf of victims whose £500 phones have been rendered worthless by an Apple software upgrade,” the British paper said.