Apple recently reduced the price of its 8-megabyte iPhone by a whopping one-third, just two months after the gadget's debut. This move has infuriated many who waited in long lines to be the first to get their hands on the new piece of technology, so much so that Apple not only issued an official apology, but also refunded money for those who bought the phone within the two weeks before the price cut and offered credit at Apple stores to other customers.
Li's lawsuit claims that damages should be paid because people like her can no longer sell the machines at as high a profit as those who bought them after the price cut. The suit also named AT&T, the only carrier offering service with the iPhone, alleging that the requirement of a two-year service contract constitutes an unfair business practice.
If people want to stand in line for hours for something like the iPhone, that's their business. While it amazes me that people have nothing better to do than wait in line to pay premium prices for a piece of technology that will be undoubtedly reduced in price in the near future, that's none of my concern. But people need to face the facts: technology is growing at exponential rates (Moore's law, anyone?) and that means that competitors in the marketplace have to do unprecedented things to gain a foothold in any market. As this is Apple's first foray into telecommunication, those that paid a premium to be the first to get their hands on the technology should not be surprised at the cut.
Meanwhile, a suit like Li's ties up an already overburdened court system with ridiculous cases. I don't need to remind anyone that taxpayer dollars are already at work paying for this case to go through our justice system. Fortunately, I can hand out Li's award for winning moronic lawsuit of the day right this second, and it's the same reward I hope she finds when her case is finished: absolutely nothing. But hey – at least she's got a cool phone. [CNN, Wikipedia]Branden Hart, a TheSequitur.com assistant managing editor, is a supervising editor at Educational Testing Service.
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