Apple Sues Supplier Of Fake Chargers, Cables Sold By Amazon

The case of the Galaxy Note 7 catching fire has manufacturers on high alert for anything that could be seen as faulty products. LG, for example, was reported to have gone over and beyond the call of duty to ensure its LG V20 won't suffer the same fate. Now Apple is also scouring the Internet for potentially treacherous accessories, especially those masquerading as official Apple products. In fact, it has already sued one such company by the name of Mobile Star LLC, who allegedly supplied Amazon with counterfeit chargers and cables that Amazon, unwittingly, sold as the real thing.

There are two layers to this lawsuit brought by Apple against Mobile Star, not Amazon. Although Amazon was selling the accessories under its own name, and not under a third party's name, it supposedly told Apple that it got its supply from the aforementioned Mobile Star. Upon further inspection, Apple determined that most, if not all, of the products were counterfeit. So, on the one hand, you have a clear trademark infringement case, but the implications of the deception has far more dangerous consequences.

Studies have shown how uncertified third-party accessories, especially those coming shady suppliers and retailers, have a danger of not behaving properly or within established standards. This is especially dangerous for wall chargers and power cables. Apple argues that the sub-standard accessories like those supplied by Mobile Star pose the danger of overheating or producing electrical shock.

And the situation isn't limited to Apple accessories either. The introduction of the new USB-C standard had accessory makers, especially the more "enterprising" ones, scrambling to capitalize on the new market, producing flawed cables and chargers. Crusaders like Google engineer Benson Leung has made it their mission to bring such accessories to light.

Of course, some might point out how OEMs can also benefit from such weeding out of accessories, as they can better promote and sell their usually more expensive products. That said, there are also well-done, certified accessories available, though, as this case shows, even those sold by Amazon itself can still be potentially problematic.

VIA: Patently Apple