AT&T and iPhone Exclusivity Lawsuit now Certified as Class-Action to Include Every AT&T iPhone Customer
posted Saturday Jul 10, 2010 by Nicholas DiMeo
A couple months ago we heard some rumors about Apple lawyers confirming that the manufacturer really did have a five year exclusivity agreement with AT&T but didn't hear much more about it. It looks as though this is just the tip of the iceberg now, as the judge in the case has officially certified the case as a class action, which means it now will include every person who has ever bought an iPhone on AT&T.
Hit the break to see what the terms of the lawsuit are.
The argument here is that iPhone customers signed a two-year contract without being informed AT&T had an exclusive agreement with the iPhone for five years. In theory, this forces customers to be held to AT&T for an additional three years without any recourse. It may sound a little out there and far-fetched, but if you bought the first-gen iPhone and wanted to stick with the iPhone it's very true.
Of course, you aren't required to actually buy a new handset after two years, and even if you wanted to, you'll have to sign a new two-year contract if you want the subsidized price on it. While we are really interested to see if the plaintiffs can push aside that small logic train and get something more than just $85 a person, we're really interested to see if somebody can bring to light more information about Apple's true agreement with AT&T! We promise to bring it to you as soon as we get word and we will keep you updated as this story will ultimately unfold.
