California Judge Dismisses Notebook Logic Board Lawsuit Against Apple - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

California Judge Dismisses Notebook Logic Board Lawsuit Against Apple

by

U.S. District Judge William Alsup this week dismissed a lawsuit filed against Apple over allegedly defective Apple notebooks, reports Reuters. Filed on behalf of Uriel Marcus and Benedict Verceles with class action status, the suit accused Apple of deliberately selling notebooks with logic boards the company knew were faulty.

macbook_white_pro_air
The plaintiffs claim Apple in May 2010 stated selling defective MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air notebooks with logic boards that failed within two years. Apple was accused of misrepresenting the faulty notebooks by advertising them as "state of the art" and the "most advanced" notebooks on the market. According to the suit, Tim Cook allegedly was made aware of the logic board issue in 2011 but did nothing to remedy the issue.

In his dismissal of the suit, Alsup said the plaintiffs failed to show that Apple's notebooks were of a substandard quality, noting that both plaintiffs were able to use their computers for a reasonable amount of time.

"Plaintiffs have failed to allege that Apple's logic boards were unfit for their ordinary purposes or lacked a minimal level of quality," Alsup wrote. "Both plaintiffs were able to adequately use their computers for approximately 18 months and two years, respectively."

Alsup also refuted the plaintiffs' claim that Apple misrepresented its products. Following this dismissal, the plaintiffs have until January 22 to amend their lawsuit.

Apple is facing another MacBook-related lawsuit that accuses the company of selling MacBook Pro models with defective graphics cards. This second suit is the result of a growing number of consumer complaints citing screen glitches, GPU failures, and system crashes in Apple's 2011 line of MacBook Pro notebooks.

Related Roundups: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Air (Buy Now)
Related Forums: MacBook Neo, MacBook Air

Top Rated Comments

JoeG4 Avatar
149 months ago
Admittedly the 1 year warranties are a bit scummy. If Apple product quality is supposed to be the best why aren't Macs coming with 3 year warranties like high end products from other companies do.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TEG Avatar
149 months ago
Considering the average computer has a life span of 5 years, and the average Mac is nearly double that, the 18 month statement is highly ignorant.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Traverse Avatar
149 months ago
Sorry, but when you pay $1,799 and up for a notebook, I want to use it more an 2.5 years. :mad:

Still, like others said, I got a 15" rMBP replacement so...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
149 months ago
Both plaintiffs were able to adequately use their computers for approximately 18 months and two years, respectively.
Can't make that up. :eek:
I wouldn't want to add that into the next ad-campaign, though. :p
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whooleytoo Avatar
149 months ago
"Failed to allege"?? Failed to prove, surely?

We've had to replace several 2010 & 2011 MBPs in recent months, all failing with graphics cards issues. It's a real pity, as otherwise they were still running great - fast, no fan issues, no battery issues. By comparison we had several 1st gen Intel MBPs and those were dreadful, random shutdowns, failing power adaptors, bulging batteries, melting cables, fans failing... On the plus side, I got a 2013 Retina MBP with SSD so no complaints.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
n-evo Avatar
149 months ago
Saying it's reasonable for a fairly expensive notebook like a MacBook (Pro) to fail after just two years is laughable.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

european commission

Apple Defends Google Against EU Proposal to Give AI Rivals Access to Services

Wednesday May 13, 2026 9:08 am PDT by
Apple has stepped in to warn that EU proposals to force Google to open Android to competing AI services pose serious risks to user privacy, security, and safety. Apple's latest submission to the EU comes (via Reuters) in response to the European Commission's call for feedback on draft measures designed to help Google comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The proposals would allow...
iphone 18 pro blue%402x

iPhone 18 Pro: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, and Dark Gray Chassis Leaked [Update]

Thursday June 4, 2026 5:18 am PDT by
Update: Since publication, new information has come to light suggesting the images have been AI-manipulated and are not in fact iPhone 18 Pro chassis parts. The original article follows. The color options Apple is reportedly planning for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max have appeared online today in the form of images of chassis parts of unknown authenticity....
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...