Apple Sues iPad Accessories Makers

04 Aug 2010 | News | Angela Topchu on Google+

Many knock-off iPod and iPad accessories makers have been sued by Apple. They were engaged in selling unauthorized accessories such as charging adapters, speakers, cables for the iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone.

Reportedly, Apple has sued more than 26 companies because they were selling sub-standard accessories to the users of iDevices. Apple claims that many are of inferior quality and reliability, raising significant concerns over compatibility with and damage to Apple’s products. The companies were not only selling unauthorized accessories of inferior quality but also offering cheap accessories tend to cause critical damage to Apple’s products. A number of consumers complained that some iPad chargers bought from the one of the companies depleted the battery instead of replenishing it.

Apple’s processing in suing the companies that deal with unauthorized products is geared to control all aspects of their products as well as to maintain the earning from the royalty of their authorized products that are being sold under their respective logo (for example, Made for iPad and Made for iPhone).

Moreover, Apple’s current program is focused on providing license to the vendors for selling any Apple’s authorized accessory to consumers. According to Shaw Wu, analyst with Kaufman Bros. LP in San Francisco, Apple collects a royalty of 20-25% of the sales made by its vendors.

Apple seems to be very successful with these types of lawsuits. It sued a Californian company in November 2009 for selling knockoff power adapters for the MacBook. The company then complied with a court order and stopped selling products.

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