An Australian court has fined Apple $9 million AUD (about $6.6 million USD) for its refusal to fix iPhones and iPads that had previously been repaired with third-party parts, The Australian Financial Review reported.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) commenced a legal battle with Apple. The Error 53 bug affected numerous Apple users, bricking their iPhones and iPads after an iOS update. In case the screen or Touch ID button had been serviced by non-Apple repairers, the company refused to unlock the disabled devices.
Apple explained this as a security measure to protect the iPhone's fingerprint sensor from exploitation. Later it released an iOS update to restore bricked devices, but reports showed it did not re-enable customers’ devices.
The ACCC said Apple violated customers' rights under Australian Consumer Law to repairs for devices bricked by Error 53. It convinced the court that Apple should pay for the repairs.
Earlier it was reported that the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) recommended that a trade judge find that Apple infringed Qualcomm Inc’s patents. The San Diego chipmaker filed a complaint against Apple nearly a year ago, alleging that the IT giant infringed five of Qualcomm's mobile patents.
The ITC recommended a judge to recognize at least one patent infringement by Apple. Meanwhile, Apple emphasized the invalidity of the Qualcomm patents. Experts believe that Apple's iPhone sales could significantly decline as a result of court proceedings.
