Apple Wins iPod Lawsuit

In 2006, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Apple, alleging that their popular iPod was defective because it can produce sound up to 115 decibels, which can cause hearing damage after long-term exposure. The case was dismissed in 2008 because the plaintiffs did not provide evidence that iPods are defective in such a way or that they had been personally harmed by their iPod use. None of the lawsuit documents show any evidence that the plaintiffs themselves suffered any hearing damage at all. Rather, they have said that iPods could theoretically cause hearing damage if used incorrectly.

The US Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit has upheld this 2008 dismissal. Senior Judge David Thompson said, “At most, the plaintiffs plead a potential risk of hearing loss not to themselves, but to other unidentified iPod users.” It is up to iPod users to properly use their iPods, and that’s how it should be.

Via Macworld, image via Apple.