Quebec judge approves Apple class action settlement

A Quebec judge has approved a settlement agreement in a class action between Apple Inc. and consumers who encountered trouble with the graphics on some MacBook laptops due to hardware problems. In a May 11 decision, Superior Court Justice Pierre Gagnon approved a settlement agreement that allows people who bought their laptops in Quebec to claim up to $175 per applicable 15” or 17” MacBoook Pro device sold in 2011 up to May 2012. People who paid for graphics issue-related repairs before January 2017 are able to claim the full amount of those repairs, with certain conditions. The suit dates back several years, to when representative plaintiff Rene Charbonneau started the action in December 2014 -- months after his laptop allegedly developed issues with its graphic performance. Charbonneau claimed he bought a 2011 MacBook pro in April 2011, which later developed graphic defects in September 2014, just outside of the three-year warranty period. The suit claimed damages and restitution from Apple for product liability, misrepresentation, false advertising, and latent defect. The problem allegedly arose because the solder used to connect the “Advanced Micro Devices Graphics Processing Unit” to the laptops’ main circuit board was lead-free. This increased the likelihood of graphics problems due to short-circuiting as the solder developed “tin whiskers” or cracks from changes in temperature. Apple allegedly sold people replacement logic boards which were also lead-free and similarly defective. Charbonneau argued that the 2011 models were the most expensive and feature-packed laptops sold by Apple at the time and were “marketed to consumers and professionals who were seeking a durable, high-performance product that was suitable for graphics-intensive tasks.” He also claimed in another document, dated May 2018, that Apple promised its 2011 Macbook Pro laptops would have three times the graphical performance of the 2010 models, but that was reduced in an attempt by the company to conceal and delay the inherent physical defects. Similar problems arose with the 2008 model laptops, which Apple rectified through a recall, Charbonneau claimed. In responding to the allegations against it, Apple claimed in its plan of argument its repair extension program provided enough relief to class members, “making the proposed class action a needless waste of judicial resources…,” and that the class qualifications were too broad. It also fought Charbonneau’s status as the representative plaintiff because he got a refund for the cost of repairs to his laptop, in addition to a replacement computer. However, the court decided that he has a case for himself and the other class members. In October 2020, both sides agreed to settle the suit.

Quebec judge approves Apple class action settlement

Brief | May 18, 2021

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Quebec judge approves Apple class action settlement

Brief | May 18, 2021

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