$45 Canadian iPod credit

A select number of Canadian iPod owners may soon be eligible for a $45 credit from Apple, says a major regional newspaper. The Montreal Gazette writes that the credit would be applicable only to owners of first-, second- or third-generation iPods, and only those who purchased theirs prior to June 24th, 2004. It is part of Apple's proposed settlement for a pair of lawsuits filed in Montreal and Toronto, under which Apple stood accused of false advertising.

Although only one of the cases was certified as a class action suit that could affect the public, in both circumstances, Apple was said to have deceived buyers on the battery life of the iPod. While the company advertised an eight-hour battery charge, the plaintiffs note that by the second year of use, their iPods could only sustain three hours.

Apple's settlement is tentative, waiting to be finalized in a Montreal court on May 26th, followed by a Toronto court on June 20th. Although the lawyer for Montreal plaintiff Ines Lenzi calls Apple's proposal "a real bonus for consumers," Lenzi himself is said to have lowered his expectations; he initially requested $137.77 for a replacement battery, $50 for inconvenience, and another $400 as exemplary damages.

by MacNN Staff