Apple hit with $5 billion class-action lawsuit over digital book purchases

Apple is facing a $5 billion class-action lawsuit filed by iPhone owners in California, alleging the company misled customers about the nature of digital book purchases.

The lawsuit, reported by foreign media, accuses Apple of violating California's false advertising laws and consumer protection regulations, per Caliber.Az.

The plaintiffs claim that Apple has deceived users into believing that when they purchase digital books through the Apple Books app, they are acquiring lifetime ownership. In reality, the lawsuit argues, users are only buying revocable licenses for the content.

The suit further asserts that Apple is required to remove digital books and audiobooks from the Apple Books app when it loses the licensing rights to the content. According to the complaint, some users have found that previously purchased digital books are no longer available for re-download, despite having paid full price for them. The plaintiffs contend that Apple removes the content without prior notice or compensation to the customers.

The lawsuit also points out that the Apple Books purchase page lacks links to the terms of service or licensing information. While users are required to agree to various licensing agreements when setting up Apple devices, the plaintiffs argue that these agreements do not sufficiently explain the conditions of content ownership in Apple Books.

The "Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions," referenced in the lawsuit, state that purchased content is typically available for download or re-download. However, they also acknowledge that content may be removed from Apple's services and become inaccessible, such as when Apple loses distribution rights from content providers. As a result, Apple advises users to download and back up their purchased content to avoid losing access.

The class-action lawsuit was filed on April 1 in the US District Court in San Jose. The plaintiffs are seeking up to $5 billion in damages, representing all individuals who have purchased a digital book or audiobook from the Apple Books store.

By Tamilla Hasanova