Apple has scored a win against two consumers who alleged that the company allowed defective logic boards to be used in its MacBook computers even though it knew they were defective. The logic boards ended up going out within two years in most of the MacBook laptops in which they were used.
Apple case dismissed
According to Reuters, a San Francisco judge said the plaintiffs did not prove that Apple made “affirmative misrepresentations. The case was brought by Benedict Verceles and Uriel Marcus. In making their allegations, the plaintiffs referenced complaints made by consumers online. They also used marketing statements Apple made which called the MacBook’s the market’s “most advanced” and “state of the art.”
The judge said the plaintiffs did not show that the logic boards in the laptops “were unfit for their ordinary purposes or lacked a minimal level of quality.” One of the two plaintiffs in the case was able to use the MacBook he purchased for about 18 months, while the other was able to use it for two years before it broke down.
Apple lawsuit may be refiled
The plaintiffs have until Jan. 22 to amend their case, but it’s unclear whether they decide to do so. They had been seeking class-action status. The case covered MacBooks sold after May 20, 2010. The plaintiffs alleged that Apple violated Texas and California consumer protection laws. The case was originally filed this past May in Texas but then was moved to San Francisco. The plaintiffs also claimed Apple CEO Tim Cook was told that the laptop computers had defective logic boards in them in 2011 but didn’t do anything about it.
Other consumer lawsuits against Apple
Apple still faces another lawsuit related to its MacBook computers. The pending case accuses the technology giant of basically ripping off consumers because of the defective graphic cards used in some of the MacBook Pro laptops sold in 2011. The defective graphic cards caused distortions on the display and system failures.
Apple won another class-action case brought by consumers in December. That case alleged that Apple harmed consumers by erasing music bought from rival music services from their iPods.
Shares of Apple slipped less than 1% during regular trading hours today.
