The week has not been particularly great for Apple which has been in the new for all the wrong reasons. After Kodak sued them for interfering with their patent auction, Apple was ordered to pay damages to Samsung in Netherlands and they are still fighting out an injunction battle with Motorola in the US.
And now, Apple is found to have “deliberately misleading” its customers in Australia by Justice Mordy Bromberg and has been fined a whopping Aus$2.25 milion for the same. If that was not enough, they have also been asked to bear the Aus$300,000 costs incurred by the regulators in the Federal Court.
Apple offered the new iPad with “WiFi + 4G”, while they knew that the iPad 4G was not compatible with the 4G networks in Australia and thus breached the Australian Consumer Law as observed by Justice Bromberg.
Though Apple itself had accepted the mistake in March and offered its customers a refund in case they felt cheated, but seems that it was not enough as Apple was dragged to court by the regulators in Australia.
Apple’s new iPad is not compatible with 4G networks outside US & Canada and thus they had changed their advertising to say “WiFi + Cellular” on 12th of May.
Apple is also scheduled to battle Samsung next week on 30th June with regards to patent infringement in A Federal Court in California US.
