White iPhone 4 conversion kit seller sued by Apple

Another Apple lawsuit? Really? It seems like recently Apple’s name has appeared in headlines for stories about lawsuits almost as much as it has for tech news. This time the target of Apple’s legal team is a New York teenager named Fei Lam. Lam landed himself in the hot seat for selling white front and back plates for the iPhone 4 online as part of a do-it-yourself white iPhone 4 kit. In total, Lam reportedly made about $130,000 from his little business venture. Clearly, though, not everyone was pleased with the service he was providing.

When Apple got wind of what Lam was up to, they cracked down pretty hard. According to MacRumors, Apple filed a lawsuit against Lam, charging him with infringement and dilution of Apple’s trademarks and demanding him to return all the money he earned from the project. What’s more, the kid’s parents were slammed with a a charge for “aiding and abetting” their son. According to the legal docs,

“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 authorized the sale of white panels for its iPhone 4 mobile devices, and that he obtained these panels from sources that were not authorized by Apple or any of its suppliers to sell them.”

However, at the same time, Apple has filed a voluntary dismissal. This suggests that they may be willing to settle out of court. And for Lam’s sake, I hope they are.

Though, this story isn’t completely without humor. As it turns out, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, actually purchased the DIY white iPhone kit that got this kid in such hot water. In fact, it was the story of the Woz’s white iPhone 4 that brought Lam to the attention of Apple in the first place. Small world…

So do you guys think Apple is being a bit harsh, or do they have the right to protect their product? Let me know in the comments section down below or on twitter!

Via: 9to5 Mac