Remember the daring youth Fei Lam, who sold $US130,000 worth of his own grey market white iPhone 4s long before Apple? Yeah, they weren’t pleased about that and finally sued him. And, it looks like he’s already settled.
Apple simultaneously dismissed its own filing against Lam and his family, which suggests they got a good chunk of change from them beforehand – especially considering the suit originally requested the forfeiture of every penny he’s made from the business. The last thing I heard from Fei was “I can’t comment on that yet”, when I asked why his website was down – and that was way back in December.
So clearly, Apple’s legal screws started turning long ago. His crime, they claim?
Defendent Lam willfully and without authorization has used Apple’s trademarks in connection with the sale of his “White iPhone 4 Conversion Kits,” which among other things included white front and back panels with Apple’s logo and “iPhone” trademarks that are used in connection with the promotion and sale of Apple’s well known iPhone 4 handheld mobile digital electronic devices. Defendant at all times knew that Apple never has authorised the sale of white panels for its iPhone 4 mobile devices, and that he obtained these panels from sources that were not authorised by Apple or any of its suppliers to sell them.
On the one hand, yeah, illegal. On the other hand, just a teenager trying to pay for college. Either way, it looks like the slate’s been wiped clean, with Lam’s profits erased and no legal KO. The iPhone giveth and the iPhone taketh away. [via Mac Rumors]