iPhone Antitrust and Computer Fraud Claims Upheld 273
LawWatcher writes "On October 1, 2008, a federal judge in California upheld a class action claiming that Apple and AT&T Mobility's five-year exclusive voice and data service provider agreement for the iPhone violates the anti-monopoly provisions of the antitrust laws. The court also ruled that Apple may have violated federal and California criminal computer fraud and abuse statutes by releasing version 1.1.1 of its iPhone operating software when Apple knew that doing so would damage or destroy some iPhones that had been 'unlocked' to enable use of a carrier other than AT&T."
explains everything (Score:5, Funny)
So that's what gave Jobs the heart attack...
Re:Good (Score:3, Funny)
Sure, because the telcos have been the epitome of advancing the technology, and implementing technology. Their extremely honest willingness to let you use your bandwidth as you see fit, to let you use VOIP w/o extra pain and cost, to bill you such a very low rate for basic text messages that pager companies were letting you send a decade or more ago prove that it isn't the telcos putting down the rules on their networks, but the dastardly cell phone makers refusing to implement such cool technology.
Re:explains everything (Score:2, Funny)
I smell a new meme coming along.
Re:Wait... what? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No one deserves this more than Apple (Score:2, Funny)
Macholm Syndrome?
Scribd Sucks (Score:4, Funny)
Thanks a lot for linking to an article that puts perfectly good plaintext info into a craptastic, poorly supported, embedded flash image that won't even load in 64-bit linux. Scribd sucks so badly it makes black holes jealous. There's already a document format for the internet, fuckers - it's called HTML. Might look into it.
Re:No one deserves this more than Apple (Score:2, Funny)
...but this is the US were talking about.
that is the beauty of the USA: you never know what you can get away with til you try!
Rip Them To Shreds (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Antimonopoly? (Score:2, Funny)
progress! (Score:3, Funny)
Back in the late 19th century when the landline telephone network was relatively new, the telephone industry naturally looked quite a bit different than it does today.
1. You couldn't simply buy a new telephone in any store, you could only rent one from AT&T along with a monthly service plan.
2. You could only use AT&T phones on their network. No other third-party phones or devices were allowed. They would repossess your phone if they caught you doing anything "unauthorized."
3. There was no other phone company to choose from, so if you wanted a telephone, you were stuck with AT&T.
This is in stark contrast to today's high-tech wireless cell phone industry, where you are only subject to a few comparatively minor restrictions if you would like to use the most advanced phones currently on the market, the iPhone.
1. You can't simply buy a new iPhone in any store, you can only purchase one from AT&T along with a monthly service plan.
2. You can only use AT&T/Apple-approved software on the iPhone. No other third-party software or applications are allowed. They will brick your phone if they catch you doing anything "unauthorized."
3. There is no other cell carrier to choose from, so if you want an iPhone, you are stuck with AT&T.
What bleak times those must have been!
(P.S. Before I'm deluged with pedantic replies: yes, there are indeed other cell phones than the iPhone and cell phone providers than AT&T on the market. I'm just having a bit of irony here, let me be.)