Dave Horvath
2 Jan 2007 5:38
Entertainment gadget guru Apple is gearing up to be a powerhouse in the court room, much like it is in the mobile audio market. Faced with what usually plagues many companies once they make it too big, Apple will defend its business practices from multiple angles in 2007.
In response to a lawsuit filed back in July over Apple's DRM practices where they were being sued for claims that the anti-piracy practices of Apple force consumers to use only music downloaded from their iTunes service. Apple failed to get that case out of court and now faces a class action lawsuit for creating a monopoly with iTunes.
In addition to their digital music woes, Apple also faces investigations which could lead to lawsuits over how it has been handling stock options within the company. Its been reported that Apple back-dated stock options, failing to account for them and making false financial claims.
Oh, they're not done yet. One of two cases that will come by their lawyer's desks soon; PhatRat claims the Nike-iPod combo was their idea and is suing Apple for patent infringement. Also, a class action suit claims that the labor board in the G4 book fails too much for public consumption.
Its easy to see that Apple has their hands full this year. It'll be interesting to see how they rebound and what products are a result of these recent actions.
Source:
The Inquirer