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DHS Seized Aftermarket Apple Laptop Batteries From Independent Repair Expert (vice.com)
Louis Rossmann says US Customs and Border Patrol seized $1,000 worth of laptop batteries, claiming they were counterfeit. From a report: Earlier this year, Louis Rossmann, the highest-profile iPhone and Mac repair professional in the United States, told Motherboard that determining "the difference between counterfeiting and refurbishing is going to be the next big battle" between the independent repair profession and Apple. At the time, his friend and fellow independent repair pro, Jessa Jones, had just had a shipment of iPhone screens seized by Customs and Border Patrol. Rossmann was right: His repair parts were also just seized by the US government.
Last month, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a package containing 20 Apple laptop batteries en route to Rossman's store in New York City. The laptop batteries were en route from China to Rossmann Repair Group -- a NYC based repair store that specializes in Apple products. "Apple and customs seized batteries to a computer that, at [the Apple Store], they no longer service because they claim it's vintage," Rossmann, the owner and operator of Rossmann Repair Group, said in a YouTube video. "They will not allow me to replace batteries, because when I import batteries that are original they'll tell me the they're counterfeit and have them stolen from by [CBP]." CBP seized the batteries on September 6, then notified Rossmann via a letter dated October 5. Rossmann produced the letter in its entirety in his video.
Last month, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a package containing 20 Apple laptop batteries en route to Rossman's store in New York City. The laptop batteries were en route from China to Rossmann Repair Group -- a NYC based repair store that specializes in Apple products. "Apple and customs seized batteries to a computer that, at [the Apple Store], they no longer service because they claim it's vintage," Rossmann, the owner and operator of Rossmann Repair Group, said in a YouTube video. "They will not allow me to replace batteries, because when I import batteries that are original they'll tell me the they're counterfeit and have them stolen from by [CBP]." CBP seized the batteries on September 6, then notified Rossmann via a letter dated October 5. Rossmann produced the letter in its entirety in his video.
To prevent this, you could just have the protection lasted as long as the product was being sold/supported by the company.
Your ad here. Ask me how!
Companies like Apple use "intellectual property" laws to circumvent prohibitions on tying.
It's illegal to require me to buy my battery from Apple just because I bought my computer from them.
And what's happening here is even worse: trying to make it illegal for anyone to sell batteries for computers Apple wants their customers to replace.
The CBP and Apple are wrong.
They are not counterfeit. They are what they say they are.
LR needs to lawyer up and sue.
Wasn't there a recent case in Europe with exactly the same situation?
I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
Apple should design cars, think of it.
-after a set number of fuel-ups, the performance decreases to save fuel economy
-after a set number of fuel-ups, the car can no longer function, because the gas tank is non-replaceable
-if the tires wear down, you must purchase a new car
-if the windshield wipers need replacement, just replace the whole windshield assembly
-refilling the wiper fluid will cost $250
-the floor mats are non replaceable
-if you blow a headlamp, purchase a new car
-if the remote keyfob battery dies, purchase a new car
Main concern that this batteries should not have apple trademarked logos and names.
The claim is that the ARE Apple batteries. Apple claims they "can't be" because they no longer support these products. Supplier and Louise claim they're original apple equipment, just taken from store models, unsold merchandise, overstock, etc.
This is the free market. It will correct.
What color is the sky on your fucking planet? Because it sure as shit isn't blue.
This is overweening government using rules created by regulatory capture to protect powerful entrenched interests.
It's most assuredly not anything close to being free market.
There are aftermarket batteries for vintage models that do not copy apples logo, such as the Rayovac ones for the original MacBook. The statement about batteries from demo machines running in stories is incredulous. Seriously suggesting that customers want repairs with batteries that have been trickle charged while continuously running, as would be the case for batteries from demo units, just fails Occam's razor. Story sounds like someone that is complaining after they got caught or at least should have done more research into their supplier.
"How can they be official Apple batteries if Apple isn't selling them?"
Trivial: They could have been acquired while apple was selling them. Then they sat somewhere.
For example, there's fairly brisk trade in laptop parts for certain popular discontinued laptops (including Apple) where the replacement parts are being recycled from units. e.g. the screen from a unit with a dead mainboard, or the mainboard from a unit with a dead screen... i repaired my old clamshell macbook for years with genuine apple parts you could no longer purchase from Apple.
Counterfeit product is a real issue as well, to be sure. But it's overreaching pretty far to assume that just because apple won't sell you X that X is counterfeit.