Homeland Security Investing Repair Shops

[preemo]

I was wondering if anyone in the US has experience with this.

This is a new story that aired a few days ago in Miami: http://www.local10.com/news/federal...hops/-/1717324/19898110/-/ldfpax/-/index.html

It basically explains that Federal ICE Agents with the Dept. of Homeland Security raided 25 repair shops (so far) in South Florida, for repairing iPhone and iPad with "counterfeit parts." The parts were seized (total for $275k at all the shops) and those shop owners were charged with a felony and instructed to stop providing that service.

Is this really illegal? I understand something like the back of an iPhone that has Apple licensing information on it, but what about the front? Since there's no such thing as "aftermarket Apple parts" - how do places stay in business? Is it a patent/license issue?

I'm working with a group of attorneys on this, but was curious to hear others' thoughts and experiences.

 

[red12049]

I was wondering if anyone in the US has experience with this.

This is a new story that aired a few days ago in Miami: http://www.local10.com/news/federal...hops/-/1717324/19898110/-/ldfpax/-/index.html

It basically explains that Federal ICE Agents with the Dept. of Homeland Security raided 25 repair shops (so far) in South Florida, for repairing iPhone and iPad with "counterfeit parts." The parts were seized (total for $275k at all the shops) and those shop owners were charged with a felony and instructed to stop providing that service.

Is this really illegal? I understand something like the back of an iPhone that has Apple licensing information on it, but what about the front? Since there's no such thing as "aftermarket Apple parts" - how do places stay in business? Is it a patent/license issue?

I'm working with a group of attorneys on this, but was curious to hear others' thoughts and experiences.

It would be illegal to advertise or claim "Genuine Apple Parts", when, in fact, they are not. It would also be illegal to call yourself an "Apple Authorized Repair Center", when you're not. It would also be illegal to ue parts with the Apple logo that were not authorized to use that logo.

Other than that...

Rick

 

[katz]

Is it because they are selling blackmarket/illegal parts? As far as what you personally do with the phone after you buy it, that should be up to the owner, black market parts being another matter, of course. However, if you want to "void" your own warranty that should be your own personal choice.

Unless they are getting it from an Apple authorized manufacturer, they are most likely getting substandard parts which are counterfeit and illegal to possess,

 

[Rocco]

My hatred for Apple continues to grow. Not to mention what I think about this being anywhere near the DHS jurisdiction...

 

[katz]

Not to mention what I think about this being anywhere near the DHS jurisdiction...

I too was wondering what this had to do with the DHS

Don't they have "real" bad guys to catch?

 

[compnet]

Is local 10 legit?

If you google department homeland security apple counterfeit, this thread is on page two, its only the second result pertaining to this story, the local10 being the first.

I find it hard to believe repair shops would be the target, and not distributors. DHS could stop these at the port.


Also, $10k inventory in ipad and iphone screens on average per store? In counterfeits, what is that? 7-800 screens?

 

[NYJimbo]

"Abella claims there were 20 ICE agents and two people from Apple in his small Bird Road store."

Expect this to spread all around the country. Apple does not like anyone making a buck off their products repairs unless they get a piece of it. Eventually it will become a federal offense to repair Apple devices without using real Apple parts. Apple has a lot of money and a lot of influence and they will get what they want.

 

[Xander]

Wow. What kind of a police state are you guys living in?

I'm waiting for the gun nuts to pipe in about how the shop owners should have been able to protect themselves from the ebil gubberment.

 

[SAG]

No no no no no.
This isn't the feds going after people repairing iphones.
This is them going after people repairing iphones (and i-devices) with so-called "apple" replacement parts.
Apple does not sell their parts to repair shops. So the repair shops fixing i-stuff with "apple" parts are using counterfeit products. That's where the crime is in this.

 

[nlinecomputers]

It falls under the Jurisdiction of DoHS because the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service is a branch of DoHS. Importing fake products in the US is a crime that Border and Customs agents would try and find. If Apple has exclusive agreements with it's suppliers then anyone that gets a hold of product bypassing Apple is stealing.

 

[KompuKare]

My hatred for Apple continues to grow. Not to mention what I think about this being anywhere near the DHS jurisdiction...

+1. Corporate lobbying will soon make any attempt to repair anything a crime. Non-consumption will soon be a thoughcrime. Seems that there is a dystopia future in store but it will a few years after 1984 and Apple will the Big Brother.
The irony of Apple's 1984 commercials seems to be lost on Apple fans. Alternative indeed.

 

[lan101]

wow what a joke. I guess that's pretty much case closed on me ever wanting to fix an apple product lol. From what I understand from this video though, the one shop owner to me....didn't sound like he was advertising as "genuine apple parts" he just said he was ordering them online from a vendor in California.

 

[300DDR]

very interesting and just as scary.

A person working at a store called Apple ER in Hallandale Beach, told an undercover Local 10 Producer he uses "Apple glass" for repairs even though he's not an authorized service provider.

Will stores like that be the next target for Homeland Security?

 

[stro]

So whats next, is Homeland Security gonna raid your local auto parts store and confiscate every aftermarket part on the shelves not built by Ford, GM or Chrysler....

I can understand confiscating knock offs and fake purses and clothing like we hear about being sold in NYC, but this isn't someone selling a counterfeit iphone, just parts for an iphone. I would assume that most repair shops just talk about fixing the phone, not about where the parts came from.

They might have a beef on a bezel part with apple logos, (assuming it is not a used part), but on an internal part where do you draw the line between calling a part counterfeit versus aftermarket....

 

[300DDR]

This reminds me of another Apple story I read yesterday, again where cops are going after the "buyers" and not the "sellers."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-5...cops-devious-new-method-to-stop-iphone-theft/

 

[4ycr]

The thing is the parts will have an apple TM, which is why the raid but the price they put on the parts will be apples retail price, which will be overpriced.

Sad day to see this.

 

[NYJimbo]

What we are seeing around here is a lot of back covers of devices with apple logos/copyrights that are fakes, pretty much just metal or plastic plates. People want to see the same Apple logo stuff on their newly repaired equipment so repair shops buy that, but its a fake. Nobody cares about the guts as long as they work but they want the outside to look like Apple. The Fed's come into a shop, find anything with the Apple logo, wording or whatever, they can tell it's a fake and then take ALL Apple related stuff and kill your business.

 

[preemo]

It falls under the Jurisdiction of DoHS because the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service is a branch of DoHS. Importing fake products in the US is a crime that Border and Customs agents would try and find. If Apple has exclusive agreements with it's suppliers then anyone that gets a hold of product bypassing Apple is stealing.

This is correct - the DoHS governs customs, and thus products imported that are violating existing patent and trademark laws.

The issue here is not repairing phones, it's purchasing inventory of parts from a non-Apple authorized distributor. Problem is - there ARE NO Apple Authorized distributors.

Basically, Apple is forcing it's customers to repair its devices directly with them...even if that means waiting all day in an Apple store to be told "The repair will be $199" which is nearly the cost of buying a new phone.

 

[preemo]

So whats next, is Homeland Security gonna raid your local auto parts store and confiscate every aftermarket part on the shelves not built by Ford, GM or Chrysler....

The difference is, Apple and Louis Vuitton have trademarked designs. So buying front LCD/Digitizers for an Apple device, even if they have no Apple logo or markings, is illegal.

Ridiculous...but illegal.

 

[lan101]

This is correct - the DoHS governs customs, and thus products imported that are violating existing patent and trademark laws.

The issue here is not repairing phones, it's purchasing inventory of parts from a non-Apple authorized distributor. Problem is - there ARE NO Apple Authorized distributors.

Basically, Apple is forcing it's customers to repair its devices directly with them...even if that means waiting all day in an Apple store to be told "The repair will be $199" which is nearly the cost of buying a new phone.

You would think they would go after the distributors then not individual shops.