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legal case study: Alan Vitt purchased an iBook G4 laptop computer from Apple, In

ID: 470177 • Letter: L

Question

legal case study:

Alan Vitt purchased

an iBook G4 laptop computer from

Apple, Inc. Shortly after the one-year warranty

expired, the laptop failed to work due to a

weakness in the product manufacture. Vitt

sued Apple, arguing that the laptop should have lasted “at

least a couple of years,” which Vitt believed was a reasonable

consumer expectation for a laptop. Vitt claimed that

Apple’s descriptions of the laptop as “

durable,” “rugged,”

“reliable,” and “high performance” were affirmative statements

concerning the quality and performance of the laptop,

which Apple did not meet.

what kind of legal problem the Apple may get into in this case?

Explanation / Answer

The apple may have a legal problem related to product liability. In this case, fraudulent misrepresentation of a product may result in product liability based on the tort of fraud thus company’s marketing claims are actionable under unfair competition and false advertising laws.