Apple and AT&T in the dock

by Tarinder Sandhu on 11 October 2007, 16:07

Tags: Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

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The Associated Press reports that AT&T and Apple are being sued for unlawfully restricting consumer choice by engaging in monopolistic behaviour with the iPhone and exclusive carrier contract.

Apple is doing its best to ensure that users who unlock their iPhone will pay a heavy price (dead phone, perhaps?) for not bowing down to the no-modification and exclusive-carrier policy, and AT&T, being that exclusive carrier, is deemed to have conspired to ensure that fair business practices were brushed under the carpet.

Do you think it's fair that Apple can - as it is trying - limit your access to a device that you've paid good money for, and is it fair to further limit your carrier options to a single provider who's obviously firmly tucked up in bed with Apple? We'd be interested to know what you think.


HEXUS Forums :: 14 Comments

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Posted by deleted - Thu 11 Oct 2007 16:14
Quite frankly Apple had this coming, companies simply shouldn't have the right to decide what you do with a product after you purchase it. I'll tolerate software use being restricted to using say, one copy because that's fair, but saying that the physical object you've spent your hard earned cash on can't be used the way you want to is stupid.

What next, Apple sell you an iPod that can only be used to play songs produced by Sony??
Posted by deleted - Thu 11 Oct 2007 16:34
US law on cellphones is very sketchy. I don't see the unlocking aspect getting very far, but there might be a restraint-of-trade case regarding the use of 3rd-party apps.
Posted by deleted - Thu 11 Oct 2007 19:57
Deleted
Quite frankly Apple had this coming, companies simply shouldn't have the right to decide what you do with a product after you purchase it. I'll tolerate software use being restricted to using say, one copy because that's fair, but saying that the physical object you've spent your hard earned cash on can't be used the way you want to is stupid.
Agreed, it's like selling a computer that can only run a Microsoft OS, and is ‘killed’ if you install linux or any other OS. Hopefully the laws governing fair competition will cover this to open the market and so lower prices of the contracts.
Posted by deleted - Thu 11 Oct 2007 20:09
Sure, Apple had this coming, but it's their choice to do the upgrade, and I suspect the plantiffs have to prove that the update was on purpose as opposed to essential?
Posted by deleted - Fri 12 Oct 2007 12:57
Giving the contract to a single carrier was plain wrong and definitely bad for the customer. Hope they'll take note and alter their UK arrangement with O2 to include other suppliers.

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