Apple has filed a lawsuit against Mobile Star LLC for trademark infringement. The company has been accused of selling counterfeit Apple chargers and passing them off as genuine products. The lawsuit claims that 90 percent of such products sold on Amazon are fake.
In its filing, Apple stated that it bought some of these products from Amazon and tested them. These products are touted to genuine Apple products and are shipped and sold by Amazon. The filing said that customers rely on Amazon's reputation and thus do not have any reason to suspect otherwise.
Apple communicated the result of its test to Amazon, which responded by turning over its entire inventory from Mobile Star LLC to Apple. In a statement sent to MacRumors, the online retailer said that it maintains its policy of zero tolerance for counterfeit products. Amazon has also banned Mobile Star LLC from its online marketplace.
The tech behemoth said that such counterfeit products are not only inefficient but also may prove to be dangerous. In many cases, they may lead to fire or the electrocution of users. Apple said that it harms the company's reputation when a reportedly genuine product fails to deliver up to the mark.
Apple decided to sue Mobile Star as the firm continued selling counterfeit products and extended its trade beyond Amazon. The tech giant is now seeking damages of up to $150,000 for each registered copyright infringed. Additionally, it is also claiming up to $2 million in damages for each trademark infringement.