Apple, AT&T Sued for iBricking, Monopolistic Behavior

[JTK]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=9247

This is unfortunate.

[WickyWoo]

I don't think they can make the monopoly part stick. AT&T hardly controls the cell carrier market, and AT&T's exclusivity will be over by the time this comes to trial.

[GasCat]

I don't know what's so unfortunate about it unless you own some APL.

ATT was broken up for being a monopoly. Their actions are there to limit competition. That isn't pure capitalism. The telecom laws are different due to licenses being handed out by the government.

[aristotles]

As a developer, I do not think Apple can be held responsible if a hack screws up a firmware update. I work in software development and I would not be surprised if the update failed because one of the hacked files failed a checksum validation in the updater that had been put into place to ensure that the proper version is being updated.

Monopoly? Nobody is holding a gun to your head to buy an iPhone.

[The Guardian]

I don't think the lawsuit has much merit. You have to stretch reality quite a lot to say the iPhone-AT&T deal is a monopoly in the legal definition. There are competing products to the iPhone after all. It's not Apple's fault if people don't like their competitors products.

I do think it should be illegal for them to lock cell phones to certain carriers though. Especially in cases where they sell the same phone locked to a different carrier as well.

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by GasCat

I don't know what's so unfortunate about it unless you own some APL.

ATT was broken up for being a monopoly. Their actions are there to limit competition. That isn't pure capitalism. The telecom laws are different due to licenses being handed out by the government.

Ticker symbol is AAPL.

When is someone not trying to sue Apple? It gets ridiclous.

[WickyWoo]

As a developer, I do not think Apple can be held responsible if a hack screws up a firmware update. I work in software development and I would not be surprised if the update failed because one of the hacked files failed a checksum validation in the updater that had been put into place to ensure that the proper version is being updated.

Bullshit.

This is completely in line with Apple's prior behavior, and since it's also a direct threat to their exclusivity, probably required by their contract to boot.

[GasCat]

Originally Posted by Aaron

Ticker symbol is AAPL.

When is someone not trying to sue Apple? It gets ridiclous.

Don't you have school you should be in?

Corporations constantly try to push the envelope of laws for profits. If they can find loopholes or claim rights that were previously unrecognized it affords an entirely new revenue stream. That's why there are so many lawsuits, they are doing things previously ruled illegal or are using unknown business tactics.

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by GasCat

Don't you have school you should be in?

Corporations constantly try to push the envelope of laws for profits. If they can find loopholes or claim rights that were previously unrecognized it affords an entirely new revenue stream. That's why there are so many lawsuits, they are doing things previously ruled illegal or are using unknown business tactics.

Maybe

I'm in graphic/web design classes 1/2 a day, so I'm on a lot. I also get on with my phone, many times throughout the day.

[GasCat]

Originally Posted by Aaron

Maybe

I'm in graphic/web design classes 1/2 a day, so I'm on a lot. I also get on with my phone, many times throughout the day.

Ahh, gotcha, well you may want to check that clock. Are you an iPhone owner?

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by GasCat

Ahh, gotcha, well you may want to check that clock. Are you an iPhone owner?

Sadly, no. I got a Sammy Blackjack for 240$ the day before the iPhone price was dropped. I was so mad, and AT&T would not let me return it. The 3G on it is pretty sweet though, bad thing is that it runs Windows Mobile.

[Banjo]

Originally Posted by Aaron

Sadly, no. I got a Sammy Blackjack for 240$ the day before the iPhone price was dropped. I was so mad, and AT&T would not let me return it. The 3G on it is pretty sweet though, bad thing is that it runs Windows Mobile.

I thought AT&T has a 10-day return policy?

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Banjo

I thought AT&T has a 10-day return policy?

I did too, but according to the manager- PDA/Smartphones cannot be returned; I don't think she knew what she was talking about.

[jermwhl]

Originally Posted by The Guardian

I do think it should be illegal for them to lock cell phones to certain carriers though. Especially in cases where they sell the same phone locked to a different carrier as well.

+1 here! I think phones and carriers should be two seperate things. You should be able to take your phone anywhere you wanted to. Just like land lines, it shouldn't matter what make/model you have it should work everywhere! Sure it would drive up the cost of phones, but it would drive up the competition of features in phones and make phone plan pricing plummet.

[cpgator]

Originally Posted by jermwhl

+1 here! I think phones and carriers should be two seperate things. You should be able to take your phone anywhere you wanted to. Just like land lines, it shouldn't matter what make/model you have it should work everywhere! Sure it would drive up the cost of phones, but it would drive up the competition of features in phones and make phone plan pricing plummet.

Agreed, plus no contracts. If you are unhappy with your service, you should be able to leave.

[aygie]

Originally Posted by cpgator

Agreed, plus no contracts. If you are unhappy with your service, you should be able to leave.

over here in the UK we don't have much of that crap really, but looks like when the iphone gts born ovre here it will introduce this kind of shite.

[jermwhl]

Originally Posted by Aygie

over here in the UK we don't have much of that crap really, but looks like when the iphone gts born ovre here it will introduce this kind of shite.

I believe most countries don't do contracts...the US is one of the last ones to do this

[aygie]

Originally Posted by jermwhl

I believe most countries don't do contracts...the US is one of the last ones to do this

yeah but check this out, i live on an island just off of the UK, we don't have o2 so it could end up the only way for me to have an iphone is to constantly pay roaming charges or hack it. that really sucks.

[Footloose301]

You know, in all honesty most of you are going to want to take a #5 hammer to my nuts, but I'm really glad Apple bricked those phones. The people were warned BEFORE the update came out that this could happen. Besides, as much as everybody says "I don't like AT&T" and whatever else.... GUESS WHAT? The iPhone was intended for AT&T ONLY!!! Thats why AT&T and Apple were the ONLY ones selling the phone and thats why the commercials were AT&T Apple and thats why it says "AT&T" on the display. If you didn't want AT&T then you DID NOT have to buy the iPhone, nobody forced you to buy it. IMHO anybody unlocking the iPhone and going to T-Mobile or whoever else is stealing. Although its not "illegal", it is wrong. Each month you'd be making a payment towards AT&T for having the iPhone and now AT&T isn't getting that money, that is stealing.

I made this same argument on appleinsider too. Its like somebody making an XBOX360 emulator for the PS3 so that they can play Halo 3, thats not right because Halo 3 was NOT designed for PS3, therefore Sony is the one making out and MS is losing money.(Trust me, I don't like MS, just being fair). In order to play Halo 3 people would have to buy the XBOX360+Halo3 which comes to $410 towards MS. Now if that person had a PS3 and got an emulator for Halo 3 then theres only $60 going towards MS.

I really don't care how much people sugar coat this at all. IMHO its stealing and very wrong. I'm really glad Apple bricked their phones. However! I do believe Apple should have a full restore button in iTunes that would allow those people with bricked iPhones to restore it to its factory state. I believe that would be nice of Apple to do, but they don't have to. And yes, I know, I know unlocking phones is completely legal.

[spam.curitiba]

Originally Posted by Footloose301

You know, in all honesty most of you are going to want to take a #5 hammer to my nuts, but I'm really glad Apple bricked those phones. The people were warned BEFORE the update came out that this could happen. Besides, as much as everybody says "I don't like AT&T" and whatever else.... GUESS WHAT? The iPhone was intended for AT&T ONLY!!! Thats why AT&T and Apple were the ONLY ones selling the phone and thats why the commercials were AT&T Apple and thats why it says "AT&T" on the display. If you didn't want AT&T then you DID NOT have to buy the iPhone, nobody forced you to buy it. IMHO anybody unlocking the iPhone and going to T-Mobile or whoever else is stealing. Although its not "illegal", it is wrong. Each month you'd be making a payment towards AT&T for having the iPhone and now AT&T isn't getting that money, that is stealing.

I made this same argument on appleinsider too. Its like somebody making an XBOX360 emulator for the PS3 so that they can play Halo 3, thats not right because Halo 3 was NOT designed for PS3, therefore Sony is the one making out and MS is losing money.(Trust me, I don't like MS, just being fair). In order to play Halo 3 people would have to buy the XBOX360+Halo3 which comes to $410 towards MS. Now if that person had a PS3 and got an emulator for Halo 3 then theres only $60 going towards MS.

I really don't care how much people sugar coat this at all. IMHO its stealing and very wrong. I'm really glad Apple bricked their phones. However! I do believe Apple should have a full restore button in iTunes that would allow those people with bricked iPhones to restore it to its factory state. I believe that would be nice of Apple to do, but they don't have to. And yes, I know, I know unlocking phones is completely legal.

QFT....

.....anyone that updated their firmware with a hacked iphone even AFTER apple warned them are dumbasses. They deserved that have their iphone not work. It is like someone tells you that the fire is hot but you still try to put your hand in it.....