Great iPod legal action against Apple....
I posted about this on my blog, and thought it was so great I just had to share it hear. This page here explains about a poor chap who *might* have damaged his hearing with his iPod because it has the potential to damage his hearing, so he is attempting to sue Apple for an undisclosed sum, and hopes all iPods will be modified. How bored would one person have to be. Something tells me he won't succeed in this little argument, particularly given Apple volume on the packaging. Thoughts? Do we think US law makes it too easy for people to bring these frivolous claims? (You US folks could probably give me a good insight into how these things work over there)
Comments
Originally posted by G_Warren
Do we think US law makes it too easy for people to bring these frivolous claims? (You US folks could probably give me a good insight into how these things work over there)
U.S. law pretty much says that you can sue anybody for anything. Whether or not it'll go anywhere is the question.
I imagine this will be thrown out, but some attorney will have a little extra money in his wallet and a judge will have wasted a little more of his/her time on stupid crap like this.
Originally posted by G_Warren
How would legal fees work in a case like this (particularly from Apple's point of view)?
That's where it gets interesting. Not only would the plaintiff need to pay the legal fees for filing and his attorney (if there's no pro bono work involved), but Apple could countersue to recover its legal fees if they end up winning. Unlikely, but it's an option.
http://www.ipoding.com/modules.php?o...ticle&sid=2273
Originally posted by midwinter
Isn't there a law against barratry here in the US?
a. One would hope
b. I don't know
c. Since barratry is about "persistently instigating lawsuits, typically groundless ones"...the "groundless" part would likely need some time to determine before being rejected...and "persistence" would have to be determined too.
Having said all of that, I do think this is likely groundless (or at least dumb). The courts do seem to favor some expectation of "common sense" by consumers ("Ah...yeah...the shiny part of the knife is sharp and cuts.")
This looks like something MS has setup (and NOT the first time I believe). They are shameless.
Some sort of digital warning system is appropriate, I would think.
Originally posted by CosmoNut
(if there's no pro bono work involved)
I don't see how anyone can be pro Bono anymore. He drives me nuts now. Oh. Wait.
Originally posted by ShawnJ
Some sort of digital warning system is appropriate, I would think.
No. Some friggin' common sense is appropriate. I don't want more crap on my iPod just because some dipshit doesn't know how to turn down the volume.
Originally posted by gobble gobble
IMHO, simple common sense would suggest that persistent loud noise can cause hearing loss. Keep the volume at a reasonable level. If you can't hear the people next to you talking, it's too loud.
Depending on what they're talking about, it could be not loud enough.
When I'm on the train in the mornings, I often find that I can't hear the music. My solution? Buy big padded headphones that block out train sounds.
This seems like another "The hot coffee burned me." lawsuit, or in this case, "The potentially hot coffee might have burned me."
So, is EU behaving like its citizens are dumb sheeps, or is there really a cause to believe that people should be warned?
Originally posted by Gene Clean
Well if it's "common sense" and "dumb", why does the EU require that all iPod's sold in EU have a volume limit? After all, Europeans are not so ignorant when it comes to iPods and volume and such wonderful things.
So, is EU behaving like its citizens are dumb sheeps, or is there really a cause to believe that people should be warned?
Ahhh...right...that line of reasoning that goes...."Well, if so and so is doing it, it must be right, especially if it is a (European) government, because we all know that they always use 'common sense', never do anything 'dumb', nor ever behave 'like its citizens are dumb sheeps'."
Originally posted by CosmoNut
That's where it gets interesting. Not only would the plaintiff need to pay the legal fees for filing and his attorney (if there's no pro bono work involved), but Apple could countersue to recover its legal fees if they end up winning. Unlikely, but it's an option.
Not to mention defamation or slander if they really wanted to be asses about it, he made a false accusation in public, the iPod didnt make him hard of hearing, his misuse did. same for twinkies, I cant sue their maker because I get fat, it is my own damn fault
This society has lost personal responsability, it is always a companies fault.
Originally posted by Chris Cuilla
Ahhh...right...that line of reasoning that goes...."Well, if so and so is doing it, it must be right, especially if it is a (European) government, because we all know that they always use 'common sense', never do anything 'dumb', nor ever behave 'like its citizens are dumb sheeps'."
Wrong. If 25, not 1, European governments decide that the high volume in the iPod (and all other MP3 players btw) may result in hearing damage, then there must be some reason to it because these are governments who do research before deciding things - they didn't just wake up one morning saying they're going to limit iPods' volume in EU. Had they done that out of spite or just to mess with Apple, or for any other reason not related to actual research, Apple would surely protest such a requirement to the Europen Trade Commission and we would hear about it. Did Apple protest such a requirement since it is, after all, 'common sense' ? I thought so.
Alcohol may cause drunk driving.
Driving a car may cause an accident.
Sex may cause an STD or pregnancy.
Where does personal responsibility enter into the picture?