It turns out that Apple's recent high-profile legal issue stemming from an injured Apple store customer was just the beginning of the company's legal woes this month. Now a consumer rights group in Australia has announced plans to sue the company over claims made in regards to the new iPad.
The specific complaint, made by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), is directed at Apple's promotional materials for the new 4G iPad, which the group said are misleading to Australian consumers.
In a statement posted on the group's website, the ACCC said, "The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will be making an application to the Federal Court in Melbourne tomorrow at 9:30am for orders against Apple Pty Limited and Apple Inc (Apple) for alleged contraventions of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The ACCC alleges that Apple's recent promotion of the new 'iPad with WiFi + 4G' is misleading because it represents to Australian consumers that the product 'iPad with WiFi + 4G' can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case."
The sticking point here is the fact that the 4G LTE networks available in Australia operate on the 1800MHz frequency, while the iPad's 4G LTE feature operates on the 700MHz and 2100MHz frequencies. This incompatibility may change in the near future as local carriers roll out new offerings, but as of now it means the iPad doesn't do 4G LTE on local networks in Australia. Similar complaints have arisen in Europe over the incompatible 4G offering in the new iPad.
Outlining the punitive actions it wants levied against Apple, the group said, "The ACCC is seeking urgent interlocutory relief to ensure consumers are made aware of the correct technical capabilities of this device. Additionally the ACCC is seeking final orders including injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers affected."
Apple has not yet commented on the legal action.
For more, see PCMag's full review of the new iPad and the slideshow below.