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Judge green lights iPhone 'brick' lawsuit

Daniel Fleshbourne   on 09 October 2008 - 10:35 · 25 comments & 6226 views

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A US judge has ruled that a lawsuit against Apple and AT&T can go ahead, despite Apple's request to have the suit dismissed. The $1.2m suit alleges that Apple and AT&T knowingly sabotaged unlocked iPhone handsets with the release of the iPhone 1.1.1 software update. The suit claims that the companies violated US trade and copyright laws which had allowed users to alter their phones. The plaintiffs are suing both companies for violating federal antitrust laws.

View: The full story @ vnunet

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(4 replies) #1 The_Decryptor on 09 Oct 2008 - 10:41
So if I break my phones firmware, then a later update fails to apply properly because of my changes, I can sue the company making the phone for compensation?

Sounds a bit silly.
#1.1 vetmarkjensen on 09 Oct 2008 - 11:07
Well, there has been a decision that there is enough evidence that end users may have been targeted in this firmware update to proceed with a trial. The evidence will be presented and reviewed in court for a decision.
#1.2 sagum on 09 Oct 2008 - 11:18
You may have gotten the wrong end of the stick here.

The lawsuite is because, 'normal' updates are checking for any changes and are deliberately bricking the handset.
This is different from if the update went wrong because you changed something. Apple and AT&T have created part of the up date to check if you're changed anything and then brick the handset.

It's like you taking your car to the garage and because you've put an new set of alloy wheels on it, the garage takes a lump hammer and pours sand into the oil department, turns around and says, "well, we saw you changed the wheels, so we've bricked your car."


#1.3 The Stylish Hobo on 09 Oct 2008 - 14:26
(The_Decryptor said @ #1)
So if I break my phones firmware, then a later update fails to apply properly because of my changes, I can sue the company making the phone for compensation?

Sounds a bit silly.


You don't understand. It is because they are sabotaging it due to the fact you decided to install custom firmware, not because your custom firmware just happens to brick it. The part they are suing over is the fact it is deliberate bricking, which is illegal.

This guy probably explains it better.

(sagum said @ #1.2)
You may have gotten the wrong end of the stick here.

The lawsuite is because, 'normal' updates are checking for any changes and are deliberately bricking the handset.
This is different from if the update went wrong because you changed something. Apple and AT&T have created part of the up date to check if you're changed anything and then brick the handset.

It's like you taking your car to the garage and because you've put an new set of alloy wheels on it, the garage takes a lump hammer and pours sand into the oil department, turns around and says, "well, we saw you changed the wheels, so we've bricked your car."
#1.4 betasp on 10 Oct 2008 - 15:17
(sagum said @ #1.2)
You may have gotten the wrong end of the stick here.

The lawsuite is because, 'normal' updates are checking for any changes and are deliberately bricking the handset.
This is different from if the update went wrong because you changed something. Apple and AT&T have created part of the up date to check if you're changed anything and then brick the handset.

It's like you taking your car to the garage and because you've put an new set of alloy wheels on it, the garage takes a lump hammer and pours sand into the oil department, turns around and says, "well, we saw you changed the wheels, so we've bricked your car."


Can you find a source on this?

I am heavy in the unlocking scene and what we found had nothing to do with deliberate bricking. Apple closed the security holes used to unlock the phones and did standard re-imaging. Nothing malicious there.

The original Anysim unlock method damaged the seczone of the baseband that was not updated by Apple but was needed to operate the phone with the 1.1.1 firmware. Therefore if you ran Anysim and then updated...brick. It could be reviginized later, but it was not easy. It was not an intentional move by Apple, and Apple even tested the unlock with the update and warned users that it could damage their phones (they realized the the Anysim hack damaged the seczone).
(3 replies) #2 Airlink on 09 Oct 2008 - 14:05
It's all part of Apple's brilliant new diversification strategy: The iBrick. Why limit the company only to consumer electronics when they can make bricks too? That's what Steve Jobs was apparently asking himself when he OK'd the firmware updates that intentionally brick iPhones. It's the only iLogicical conclusion that one can draw from all this.

That's the power of Apple iLogic: It makes sense because Apple says it does.
#2.1 Magallanes on 09 Oct 2008 - 18:08
You can't blame Apple but AT&T. Apple earn money for every iphone, no matter if the iphone will be by AT&T or unblocked and used with other carrier.
#2.2 RAID 0 on 09 Oct 2008 - 23:43
(Magallanes said @ #2.1)
You can't blame Apple but AT&T. Apple earn money for every iphone, no matter if the iphone will be by AT&T or unblocked and used with other carrier.


AT&T didn't release the firmware. Apple, however... DID.

You fail.
#2.3 ricknl on 10 Oct 2008 - 15:00
And according to the initial contract Apple had with AT&T, Apple was also getting their own share from the subscription.
(3 replies) #3 RangerLG on 09 Oct 2008 - 14:24
I feel with cell phones, unlike software, you own the phone so you should be able to alter it however you wish.
#3.1 nmesisca on 09 Oct 2008 - 14:55
(RangerLG said @ #3)
I feel with cell phones, unlike software, you own the phone so you should be able to alter it however you wish.


yeah, pity that the OS is not hardware but software, so in theory the hardware is yours (in fact it is) but you still only purchase the license for the software that is installed. Same with WinMo and the likes.
#3.2 RangerLG on 10 Oct 2008 - 12:36
(nmesisca said @ #3.1)
yeah, pity that the OS is not hardware but software, so in theory the hardware is yours (in fact it is) but you still only purchase the license for the software that is installed. Same with WinMo and the likes.


The difference there is that you have to agree to an EULA when you install software. I don't recall having to agree to an EULA for the software on a phone. Unless its somewhere in the crazy contract you are pretty much forced to sign to get cell service.
#3.3 nmesisca on 10 Oct 2008 - 15:43
(RangerLG said @ #3.2)
(nmesisca said @ #3.1)
yeah, pity that the OS is not hardware but software, so in theory the hardware is yours (in fact it is) but you still only purchase the license for the software that is installed. Same with WinMo and the likes.


The difference there is that you have to agree to an EULA when you install software. I don't recall having to agree to an EULA for the software on a phone. Unless its somewhere in the crazy contract you are pretty much forced to sign to get cell service.


the EULA for the OS of the phone is in the package with the phone. its a piece of paper and generally does not even gets noticed. its not an electronic EULA you have to click 'agree' because its implicit the OS is bundled in a ROM in the phone, so you buy the phone, you agree to the eula.
(2 replies) #4 sweetsam on 09 Oct 2008 - 14:54
When a phone is customized the supplier has every right to deny them further updates on the basis that the phone has been customized and that any updates may result in unreliable results.

That being said the customer did pay for the phone. He owns it and it is his property. Apple would have been well within their rights to deny updates but deliberately breaking the phone is just not fair. I hope they are fined enough so that they don't behave like this ever again.
#4.1 Liquidfox on 09 Oct 2008 - 15:45
Yes, deny them further updates, not deny them their phone...
#4.2 Skyfrog on 09 Oct 2008 - 17:41
Exactly, if you mod your game console as another example they have the right to ban you from online play but they cannot send out an update or signal that destroys your console. Can you imagine the backlash if they did? Well Apple basically did the same thing.
(2 replies) #5 shockz on 09 Oct 2008 - 16:56
People had fair warning that they could end up bricking their iPhone... I believe apple even stated only upgrade on non-jail broken phones.
#5.1 Skyfrog on 09 Oct 2008 - 17:42
You can't fairly warn people of something that is illegal to begin with and then get away with it.
#5.2 +Shadrack on 09 Oct 2008 - 23:40
If Apple released a statement along the lines of "updating an altered iphone will brick it", then that won't help their case at all I'm afraid. lol.
(2 replies) #6 tablet_user on 09 Oct 2008 - 20:13
is there anything in warranty that helps apple. like for instance, if you open your 360 and break the warranty seal then ms is no longer responsible for anything that happens.
#6.1 stevehoot on 09 Oct 2008 - 21:19
But if I opened my 360, and MS then published an update that looked for opened 360's and bricked them it would still be illegal. They could prevent the installation of the software, stop me from using the system online - however as I own the hardware turning my premium console into a fancy paperweight is not fair or legal. (IMHO - IANAL)

I am not responsible for your computer, however if I send you some software that is designed to format your machine if it detects your using MS Office then it's illegal. (Even if you consented to run the software I sent you). Criminal damage with intent at the very least.
#6.2 +Smigit on 10 Oct 2008 - 14:45
Yeah as above, MS can only deny you service in terms of warranty as well as not guaranteeing the integrity of the system either through normal use or for updates after you have tampered with it. However they can't deliberately set out to kill your console in the update. If it happens as a side effect then thats probably seen as fine but.

These guys sueing must have at least some case that has shown they have reasonable reason to believe Apple and AT&T deliberatly attempted to seek out and destroy the unlocked iPhones and that the bricks weren't just inconsequential.
(1 reply) #7 Qumahlin on 10 Oct 2008 - 03:48
This is asinine because the article fails to mention one key fact...that most of those "bricked" units can actually be brought back to life and a great deal of them were upon the release of the 1.1.3 update.

Back when this all first happened I bought two separate "bricked" iphones off Craigslist because I know that any damage you do to a device via software is ALWAYS repairable given the right tools. 1.1.1 caused certain unlock methods to brick phones do to changes to the modem firmware (this is different then the phones firmware). Subsequent updates to the modem firmware completely overwrote the previous "bricked" one by doing nothing more than putting the phone in DFU mode and connecting it to itunes.

I made roughly $500 bucks reselling those phones. I'm willing to bet most of the owners in this lawsuit aren't smart enough to realize that newer tools can revive most bricked iphones.
#7.1 Hak Foo on 12 Oct 2008 - 18:21
Technically, the wrong software COULD result in hardware damage. For an example, look at those "Overclock inside Windows" utilities-- set one to drive the voltage to 2.0v on a processor rated for 1.15, and wait for the smoke.
#8 RADicaLMMS on 12 Oct 2008 - 09:36
Don't see why people are on Apple's side on this. This is good news even for the blind nutso fanboys. Apple losing will stop them and others from anti-consumer crap like bricking devices.

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