Apple's advertisements had made various claims about the
iPhone's resistance to damage when submerged or otherwise exposed to water,
including that some models could survive depths of 4 metres (13.1 feet) for 30
minutes.
The named plaintiffs, two from New York and one from South
Carolina, claimed that Apple's "false and misleading"
misrepresentations let the company charge twice as much for iPhone models than
the cost of "average smartphones."
US District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan said the
plaintiffs plausibly alleged that Apple's ads could mislead consumers, but did
not show their iPhone units were damaged by "liquid contact" Apple
promised they could withstand.
The judge also found no proof of fraud, citing a lack of
evidence that Apple intended to overstate its water resistance claims, or that
the plaintiffs relied on fraudulent marketing statements when buying their
iPhone handsets.
Spencer Sheehan, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said his
clients are disappointed with the decision, and no decision has been made
whether to appeal.
Neither Apple nor lawyers for the Cupertino,
California-based company immediately responded to requests for comment.
In the quarter ended December 25, 2021, iPhone handsets
accounted for $71.6 billion, or 58 percent, of Apple's $123.9 billion of net
sales.
The case is Smith et al v Apple Inc, US District Court,
Southern District of New York, No. 21-03657. - Reuters
0 comments:
Post a Comment