US-based electronic accessories manufacturing company, Mobile Star LLC., is facing a lawsuit by Apple. Apple has accused Mobile Star LLC of selling counterfeit iPhone accessories on Amazon.
Apple claims that genuine Apple accessories like Lightning-to-USB cables and USB power adapters sold on Amazon are 90 percent fake. According to the trademark infringement case filed by Patently Apple on Thursday, Apple bought the accessories from Amazon to test their authenticity and found that nine out of ten them are counterfeit.
This is in direct violation of Apple's patents and copyrights. The fake products also pose a threat to safety as there is no proper product testing and it could cause damage to the product or may even result in a fire.
Apple is seeking up to $150,000 per copyright violation and $2 million per trademark infringement.
"Consumers, relying on Amazon.com's reputation, have no reason to suspect the power products they purchased from Amazon.com are anything but genuine. Consumers are likewise unaware that the counterfeit Apple products that Amazon.com sourced from Mobile Star have not been safety certified or properly constructed... and pose a significant risk of overheating, fire, and electrical shock," the lawsuit reads.
In a statement to CNET, Amazon said, "We have zero tolerance for the sale of counterfeits on our site. We work closely with manufacturers and brands, and pursue wrongdoers aggressively."