French association Halte à l’Obsolescence Programmée (Stop Planned Obsolescence) announced that it has started legal action against Apple France, accusing the company of breaching the Consumer Code on two separate counts – practicing planned obsolescence and misleading customers. The move follows Apple’s recent statement about how it artificially limits the processing power of iPhones carrying old batteries, an admission that immediately triggered lawsuits in the US market.
Known as HOP, the association said that Apple’s actions violate French legislation on Energy Transition. Since 2015, planned obsolescence can carry a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a fine of up to EUR 300,000, with companies facing a penalty of up to 5 percent of their annual revenues.
A similar court case is already ongoing against several printer manufacturers, including Epson, accused by the association of reducing the lifetime of their products and cartridges.
