Apple has blocked FaceTime on older iPhones. It cost her 18 million dollars
Over the years that I have been using Apple technology and following its development, it seems that the company did not have a single day free from litigation. Apple is constantly suing someone, acting either as a plaintiff, or trying to justify itself to those who blame her for something. Therefore, when VirnetX sued Apple for infringing on its FaceTime signal broadcast patents, no one gave it much importance. However, the judge acknowledged that VirnetX was correct and ordered Apple to rectify the violations. Who would have thought that the method of elimination chosen in Cupertino would result in tangible financial losses for them.
Troubleshooting Apple has done quite radically. The company made changes to FaceTime, but only in iOS 7, while in iOS 6 and earlier builds, the service simply turned it off. Thus, Cupertino decided to just save money, since the translation of all versions of the OS with FaceTime support to a new principle of operation would be too expensive. As a result, those who did not want or could not upgrade to the latest version of the operating system with corrections, were virtually left without the ability to use video communication on their devices.
Why FaceTime Doesn't Worm
Of course, this could not go unnoticed, and users who were denied access to the video service sued Apple. The trial went on for several years, giving the company hope of victory - after all, iOS 6 was already an outdated version at the time FaceTime was disconnected - however, the court ultimately concluded that Apple did not shine and made it clear to lawyers that it would be better for it conclude a settlement agreement with offended users. After all, if the court officially finds the company guilty, then it will have to pay a lot, and there is a chance to negotiate with the plaintiffs on more favorable terms.
As a result of negotiations between the plaintiffs and the defendant, they agreed that Apple would pay $ 18 million under an amicable agreement, given that FaceTime blocking on older devices affected 3.6 million devices. This is a fairly large figure, however, affected users shine compensation of different sizes. A third of the entire fund will be received by lawyers who defended the interests of the victims, the first two plaintiffs who initiated the filing of the lawsuit will receive $ 7,500, and all the rest will receive only $ 3.
How to get money from Apple
True, due to the nature of American law, not everyone will receive compensation. The lawsuit was filed in California, and therefore its decision applies only to residents of the state. Therefore, even if you live in the United States, but outside of California, and have suffered from illegal FaceTime blocking, you obviously should not expect payments. However, given the insignificance of the compensation awarded, it is unlikely that anyone will voluntarily spend time on claiming it. Much more important is the fact that Apple admitted its guilt and agreed to compensate users for the damage.
True, there is one snag. Unfortunately, it is not very clear from open sources whether Apple should restore FaceTime to older devices. Indeed, logically, it’s not enough just to pay compensation, since $ 3 is unlikely to reassure those who have lost the opportunity to use the usual video communication service. Therefore, most likely, Apple should atone not only financially, but also practically, by releasing an update for iOS 6 with the restoration of FaceTime.