Exploding iPod backfires on Apple
Owner flees to The Times
Apple is accused of trying to silence a father and his daughter with a legal gagging after the girl’s iPod Touch had inexplicably exploded.
Ken Stanborough,47, from Liverpool, told The Times that Apple would refund his money only if the pair signed a confidentiality agreement banning them from talking publicly about the incident.
Stanborough accidentally dropped the iPod Touch last month. It started making a hissing noise and became hotter. He also thought “vapour” could be seen leaking from the player.
Wisely, he threw the device out of his back door and, after 30 seconds, “there was a pop, a big puff of smoke and it went 10ft in the air”.
In a letter to the pair, Apple said that by accepting a refund the Stanboroughs had “to keep the terms and existence of this settlement agreement completely confidential”.
The company warned that any breach of confidentiality “may result in Apple seeking injunctive relief, damages and legal costs against the defaulting persons or parties”.
Stanborough went to the press instead.
A recent investigation by the Seattle TV station Kiro 7 found evidence of at least 15 burn and fire-related incidents blamed by iPod owners on their iPods.
News of iPods, HDDs, laptops and other gadgets bursting into flames or exploding is nothing new.
However, KIRO 7 uncovered the 15 iPod cases from an 800-page Consumer Product Safety Commission document that took over seven months to get hold of. Why? According to the outlet, because “Apple’s lawyers filed exemption after exemption”. ®
COMMENTS
Well done, that man
Its high time that the law made confidentiality agreements like this null, void and legally unenforceable.
The public has a right to know of safety defects to products. They also have a right to compensation when supplied defective or dangerous products. The supplier, in turn, has absolutely no right to try to suppress evidence that NEEDS to be in the public domain.
But more to the point, how can any company be so completely and utterly stupid as to realise that by improperly trying to silence bad news, what they actually do is to broadcast it to rather more people than would otherwise know about it. And, what's more, they broadcast their cavalier attitude to public safety too.
Li-Poly?
I thought Lithium Polymer batteries weren't supposed to "vent" like that, even if punctured.
All the exploding laptop incidents involved Lithium Ion batteries. Apple uses LiPoly in iPods , iPhone and now Macbooks.
why is this not on the fornt page
And let the fight begin !!!
Re why does Apple get all the blame
@AC am I wrong in suggesting that you're one of those Apple fan(atic)s?
Anyhow, you are right that Apple doesn't manufacture the short tempered batteries. But then it ends, your point. Apple is indeed liable for what it sells no matter who the original manufacturer was. In fact it was Apple who chose this very battery and Apple is to blame for using those.
If you were equally receptive for news not involving Apple you would be well aware of other (non-Apple) cases of exploding electronic devices. Now go home, do you're homework and play with your apples.
EA
@AC (first post)
I completely agree with you....you are 'not all that smart'...
...hey it ain't my fault, I never MADE the explosive I blew you up with....
