Apple lawsuits, settlement, ban overview:
- Who: Apple faces a pair of lawsuits, settled allegations and is a target of a recommended ban on Apple Watch imports.
- Why: The lawsuit and settlement claims involve antitrust and patent violations, job applicant discrimination and Apple gift card safety misrepresentation.
- Where: Apple products and services are used by consumers nationwide.
Tech giant Apple faces lawsuits, settlements and a potential ban on Apple Watch imports.
Apple limits ability of competitors to enter into peer-to-peer payment marketplace
A group of consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Apple earlier this month over claims the company makes it hard for its competitors to join the iOS peer-to-peer payment marketplace.
Apple, which operates Apple Cash, is accused of using mirroring deals with PayPal’s Venmo, Block’s CashApp and Google’s Google Pay to limit feature and price competition marketwide.
The consumers argue Apple uses the agreements with its competitors to bar “the incorporation of decentralized cryptocurrency technology within existing or new iOS peer-to-peer payment apps,” according to the lawsuit.
“Absent Apple’s anticompetitive restraints, new entrants (or existing competitors) would introduce desirable new features in iOS peer-to-peer payment products,” the Apple class action states.
The group of consumers want to represent a nationwide class of all persons, business associations, entities and/or corporations who paid fees through Venmo or Cash App since Nov. 17, 2019.
Apple knowingly violated wide angle imaging patent with iPhone 15 camera, suit says
Haptic technology company Immersion Inc. filed a lawsuit against Apple in September over claims Apple violated Immersion’s wide angle imaging patent with the iPhone 15 camera.
Immersion argues it filed a patent application for its miniature wide-angle imaging lens in 2019 and hit Apple with patent lawsuits for both its iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 model smartphones.
The company claims the existence of its previous lawsuits means Apple must have been aware it was accused of copyright infringement prior to its development of the Apple iPhone 15 with the same alleged patent issue.
“With that knowledge, Apple continued to develop and release new products having the same infringing components,” the Apple lawsuit states.
Immersion requests an award of damages and interest and an order stating Apple willfully violated its patents after being aware of the previous patent lawsuits filed against it.
Trade commission recommends banning import of certain Apple Watches over patent dispute
The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) recommended banning the import of Apple Watch varieties with a light-based pulse oximetry functionality over a patent dispute with Masimo, a global media technology company.
The ITC sent the recommendation to President Biden for review.
As part of its recommendation, the ITC says the U.S. would make an exception for either warranty replacements or repairs on watches imported prior to the ban recommendation.
Apple promised to appeal the recommended ban, saying in a statement that Masimo “wrongly attempted to use the ITC to keep a potentially life-saving product from millions of U.S. consumers while making way for their own watch that copies Apple.”
Two dozen academic institutions, antitrust experts and members of Congress filed comments in support of Masimo, according to the brand.
Apple to pay $25M to end DOJ claim it discriminated against job applicants
Apple agreed to a $25 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division and Employee Rights Section over claims the company discriminated during its hiring process based upon the immigration status of its applications.
The $25 million settlement includes $18.25 million in back pay for eligible discrimination victims and $6.75 million in civil penalties.
The DOJ says the settlement amount was the largest the federal agency has ever recovered under the antidiscrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
“Creating unlawful barriers that make it harder for someone to seek a job because of their citizenship status will not be tolerated,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division says in a statement.
Apple to pay $1.8M to end gift card misrepresentation claims
Apple agreed to pay $1.8 million to resolve claims it misrepresented both the security and value of its gift cards redeemed by unauthorized third parties.
The settlement will benefit a class of consumers who bought certain Apple gift cards between March 2018 and July 2020 that were later redeemed by an unknown third party before the consumer was able to redeem them and who weren’t offered a refund or replacement.
An additional class of consumers from California who purchased Apple gift cards in the state from May 2017 and February 2018 and were victims of the same alleged circumstances can also benefit from the class action settlement.
Individuals who want to make a claim to join the class action settlement must submit a valid claim form by Jan. 8, 2024.
Have you been affected by a recent settlement or lawsuit involving Apple? Let us know in the comments.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
