Apple sues accessories maker for counterfeit chargers on Amazon

Just as often as entities sue Apple, Apple sues others back. This week, it laid a complaint against a company called Mobile Star which Amazon has sourced Lightning connector chargers from.

Amazon labeled at least one product, a generic 5W Apple-style charger with a 1-meter Lightning cable as “sold by Amazon.” One review of the product claimed that the product was used and had malfunctioned in the first day — it exploded.

Infinite Loop claims thousands of counterfeit Apple products are being sold on Amazon, even fulfilled by Amazon, and has tested more than 100 products including “iPhone devices” and charging apparatus. It estimates 90 percent of products on the



marketplace are counterfeit.

As this case pertains to New York-based Mobile Star, Apple is looking for damages on four counts, including copyright and trademark infringement and breach of counterfeiting law. It is seeking $2 million per trademark and $150,000 per copyright infringed and that’s at the very least in addition to other restitution.

For Amazon’s part, it stated to 9to5Mac that it has “zero tolerance” for counterfeit products on its market and works with its retail and manufacturer partners to eliminate them.