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Apple Files Lawsuit Against Teenager Who Sold White iPhone 4 Conversion Kits, Settlement Reached?

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dgree03 said:
*LTD* said:
How do you have to hold it? It isn't working for me. I can still make calls.
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reading is not your strong point I presume. He said you lose signal when holding it a certain way, particularily on the lower left hand corner, where the "gap" is present.

You will lose signal, but that doesnt mean you wont be able to make a call. That all depends on how strong your signal is to begin with.
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I made it lose a bar by cupping the phone really tight in both my hands. Is that it? But I always move between 4-5 bars anyway. Even if I'm down to only 2 bars I can still make calls.

So where's the problem?
 
I don't dispute the the "stolen" goods part. But I don't understand the copyright infringement. Yes, he sold conversion kits with Apple logos on them, but you can buy a recolored iPhone from moders with all logos as well, like here http://www.colorwarepc.com/. So to me, this seems like a big headline move by Apple's lawyers, followed by a settlement with possibly mild terms.
 
Selling STOLEN parts = you get what you deserved.

It's that simple. Being young isn't a good enough justification.

This is not a case of Robin Hood where he stole these parts, swapped with people at no cost for black parts, and then returned all the black parts back to Apple. He acquired stolen parts, and sold it for a profit. Letting this go will only validate criminal activity like this.
 
*LTD* said:
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I made it lose a bar by cupping the phone really tight in both my hands. Is that it? But I always move between 4-5 bars anyway. Even if I'm down to only 2 bars I can still make calls.

So where's the problem?
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Customer: My 2012 honda car doesnt go above 60mph, the speed o goes to 130mph and the freeway limit is 70mph. my 2011 I bought last year, in the same exact model and I could drive above 60mph. What is wrong with this years model?

Service Guy: There is nothing wrong, you are just driving too fast. The car can still move, so what is the problem?

Customer: It doesnt work as advertised

Service Guy: So?
 
pepitko said:
I don't dispute the the "stolen" goods part. But I don't understand the copyright infringement. Yes, he sold conversion kits with Apple logos on them, but you can buy a recolored iPhone from moders with all logos as well, like here http://www.colorwarepc.com/. So to me, this seems like a big headline move by Apple's lawyers, followed by a settlement with possibly mild terms.
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Actually the one you linked to is a coating so they are not actually manufacturing parts, simply using a resin coating over existing ones, leaving the logo intact or painting over it in a different color. And most of the other mod sites are not selling parts with apple logos on them. And if they are I wouldn't be surprised if one of two things happen, either Apple is selling them license to do it, some companies will allow that if they get an appropriate piece of the sales or Apple just hasn't collected enough information. Apple does not jump on things until they are ready to hit hard enough to get what they want, they are patient and methodical so when they do release their lawyers it is more likely to be a clean kill instead of a lengthy battle.
 
toddybody said:
Im so humbled to be surrounded by perfect people.

If any of you have acquired ANYTHING by non-legal means (shared music/movies)...youre a "thief".

If any of you have gone over the speed limit (by ANY amount), talked on the phone while driving (in applicable states)... you're a criminal.

Yes, he did a stupid and illegal thing. But, dont wave your banner of perfection while making his actions so black and white. If his family didnt have healthcare, and he used all the profits to treat his mother's cancer, would you still be so hypocritical?

His actions (though "wrong") were not harmful to anyone and only reflect poor judgement on himself.

Give the grace we all require...heaven knows ive far from perfect.
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Man, this argument is dumb. A better question to ask would be if you do illegally download content, are you prepared to face the consequences should you get caught? I routinely drive 10 mph over the speed limit, BUT I ACCEPT THAT I'M TAKING A RISK FOR PERSONAL GAIN. If I get pulled over, I nicely pay the ticket; I don't yell at the officer and yell at the judge and complain to everyone I know. You don't have to be "morally perfect" in everything you do, you just have to be willing to ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS, simple as that.

And that is the problem we see far too often in the US (and probably elsewhere as well): people who think they are entitled to something and that they should never have to face any consequences. It looks like a lot of you fit into that group.
 
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dgree03 said:
*LTD* said:
I made it lose a bar by cupping the phone really tight in both my hands. Is that it? But I always move between 4-5 bars anyway. Even if I'm down to only 2 bars I can still make calls.

So where's the problem?
Click to expand...

Customer: My 2012 honda car doesnt go above 60mph, the speed o goes to 130mph and the freeway limit is 70mph. my 2011 I bought last year, in the same exact model and I could drive above 60mph. What is wrong with this years model?

Service Guy: There is nothing wrong, you are just driving too fast. The car can still move, so what is the problem?

Customer: It doesnt work as advertised

Service Guy: So?
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Where is the ocean of returned iPhone 4s? How come I never get dropped calls? How come no one is complaining about constant dropped calls?

How come these things are selling in record numbers, and keep selling in record numbers?

Could it be that my experience is typical of most users, in that the alleged defect doesn't actually rise to the level of a problem?

So where's the problem?
 
mrpither said:
Allright! Another reason to make me hesitant to admit to owning an iPhone, or iPod, or MacBook, or contemplate buying more Apple crap if this is how those profits are used. Time to fix my signature...
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Do you hear that? That's the world's smallest violin playing.
 
wrkoch said:
What @$$holes!! I feel bad for the kid, he was smart enough to bring it to market before apple could. Hope it works out okay for him.
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LandOfTech said:
F You apple! The kids just trying to make a buck because you couldn't get ur ***** straight when making a white iphone now you sue him and take all his money.
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OMG, how many times are we going to see these kinds of comments?

RTFA before commenting.
 
scoobydoo99 said:
How could anyone be down on Apple for this? Regardless of age, the perp engaged in a conspiracy with international criminals to import, market, and profit from stolen merchandise. Beyond that, it was merchandise not available through legitimate means for the most anticipated and hyped electronics product of the year. His website got national media coverage and probably actually did damage Apple's image and ability to market and control their trademarks.

Personally, I think Apple shouldn't have settled - they should have crushed the kid and his family and put them out on the street.
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You think an entire family should be made homeless because of this? Parents and siblings who likely didn't even know what the kid was doing and had nothing to do with it?

You Apple fanboys make me vomit.
 
dgree03 said:
Customer: My 2012 honda car doesnt go above 60mph, the speed o goes to 130mph and the freeway limit is 70mph. my 2011 I bought last year, in the same exact model and I could drive above 60mph. What is wrong with this years model?

Service Guy: There is nothing wrong, you are just driving too fast. The car can still move, so what is the problem?

Customer: It doesnt work as advertised

Service Guy: So?
Click to expand...

Funny, I don't recall Apple anywhere in the advertisements for iPhone 4 that it was guaranteed to have stronger signal in all situations that prior models. So saying that it doesn't function as advertised is false. I have a black iPhone 4, have had it since it was available here in Canada and have used it in the US, El Salvador and Colombia as well as all over the area I live in which is not a major city here in Canada and have never once dropped a call or had bad signal. I don't use a case or bumpers. Yes if I squeeze it like I am trying to keep someone from prying it from my hand then it drops signal a little bit but that happens with any of the cell phones I own, you squeeze them too much or cover the antenna too much and you will decrease signal.

Trying to derail a thread about someone who broke the law and got in trouble for it by bringing up your personal grudge about something that from the sound of it you have little experience with, from your claim of not owning one, is pretty weak. If the majority of people have problems with the iPhone 4 it would have been recalled, but this "issue" you claim makes the phone defective is actually pretty small percentage of users and often in places where they have naturally low signal.
 
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aristokrat said:
mack pro said:
Apple's sueing teenagers now.
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More like Apple's still suing criminals. Remember gizmodo and the stolen iPhone; does trafficking in stolen goods ring a bell?
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Oh please. It's perfectly permissible if you're under the age of majority, AND even more acceptable of you're doing it on behalf of an adult.

/s
 
sockdoggy said:
Didn't Woz say he would help this kid battle Apple in an interview with Engadget?

Now that would be fun.
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Woz might have been wrongly assuming (like a lot of us) that the kid was producing these parts himself, not obtaining them through questionable and potentially illegal channels. I don't see Woz defending this guy, given what we know now.
 
Mattie Num Nums said:
How many of you supported Metallica when they were fighting Napster. I bet a good number of you didn't.
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Don't like Lars, liked Napster even less. The former because he's an obnoxious dbag, or at least cones across as one, and the latter because they were making profit off the work of others. Much like the record labels.

And, I also remember mp3.com, and how they imploded. I worked right down the street at the time. Same feelings there.

So, to sum up: I probably didn't support Metallica, but I considered Napster to be at the best sleazy, and at the worst a bunch of criminals. However since the record companies treat me like one even when I'm not, I have little sympathy there, either.
 
wrkoch said:
What @$$holes!! I feel bad for the kid, he was smart enough to bring it to market before apple could. Hope it works out okay for him.
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So you're telling me if I somehow managed to "get a hold of" (read: steal) some prototype MS Slate devices and sell them, you'd tell me that I'm a genius in getting it to market before MS?
 
diadem said:
Without more info we cant be sure on how the goods got to the kid. But he most likely was buying the parts of his supplier in china, so he is not a thief like every one keeps saying. The thief is the employee at Foxconn. The only thing the kid is guilty of is using apple's trade mark illegally.

The kid will do very well in business if he keeps it up. He seen a market and filled it, it was a pro move. Tho the parts needed a little work to keep the lawsuit from coming his way.

That said I do hope the kid managed to squirrel away some of that cash so he can setup a new business.
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Ah, you're right. Apple shouldn't go after him for stealing, but rather for international trafficking of stolen goods, which I'm pretty sure is a much bigger offense. I'm glad you pointed that out so that the kid didn't get away with a lesser crime.

That's like saying you didn't do anything wrong if you bought the Hope Diamond from someone who'd stolen it.
 
macsrcool1234 said:
You think an entire family should be made homeless because of this? Parents and siblings who likely didn't even know what the kid was doing and had nothing to do with it?

You Apple fanboys make me vomit.
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Really?? You make me vomit by your comments that ignorance is an excuse. These "parents" didn't bother to take note of what their minor was doing illegally in their own house? They don't have the right to be called parents if they blindly let their children break the laws. It's time people are reminded that having children means taking responsibility for them. This attitude of letting parents off the hook by blaming everything from tv's to video games is getting old. Simple fact is if a child is breaking the law then the parents failed to raise the child correctly. If a child is taught properly, if parents take time out of their busy lives to instill values into them then it doesn't matter how violent the tv shows are, how violent the video games are, if the child was taught the meaning of right and wrong correctly they will retain that. This attitude of "its not my fault" needs to be shot down soon. Too often now parents can't be bothered to teach their children respect, they are too busy with their own lives and figure they will leave it up to teachers and society to deal with their spawn.
 
dgree03 said:
reading is not your strong point I presume. He said you lose signal when holding it a certain way, particularily on the lower left hand corner, where the "gap" is present.

You will lose signal, but that doesnt mean you wont be able to make a call. That all depends on how strong your signal is to begin with.
Click to expand...

Which I can reproduce on every phone I've owned, HTC, Samsung, you name it. The place where it happens on the iPhone is just very easy to find.
 
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