Beats Electronics controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2022
Consumers sue Apple over Powerbeats Pro battery life claims
Lawsuit filed
Consumers filed a lawsuit against Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that Beats by Dre Powerbeats Pro earphones did not meet the advertised battery-life claim. The article reports the allegations and does not establish a court determination.
Source excerpt
众多消费者通过美国纽约南区地方法院指控苹果，认为其Beats by Dre Powerbeats Pro耳机对于电池续航的承诺不到位。
苹果曾经宣称这款耳机充满一次电的续航可以达到9个小时，但实际却并非如此。
2021
Italy fines Amazon and Apple over Beats sales restrictions
Fine or penalty
Italy's competition authority fined Amazon €68.7 million and Apple €134.5 million after finding that an agreement between them restricted sales of Apple and Beats products on Amazon's Italian website. The authority also ordered the companies to end the restrictions and to allow sales in a non-discriminatory manner. The decision concerned restrictions on the sale of Apple and Beats products through Amazon's Italian site.
Company response
Denial — Amazon
We reject the suggestion that Amazon benefits by excluding sellers from our store, since our business model relies on their success.
Denial — Apple
Meanwhile, Apple denied any wrongdoing:
Source excerpt
AGCM imposed a fine of €68.7 million (US$77 million) on Amazon and a fine of €134.5 million (US$151.2 million) on Apple. It also ordered the companies to end the restrictions and allow the sale of Apple and Beats products on Amazon Italy in "non-discriminatory manner."
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has fined Apple and Amazon a combined total of €203.2 million (US$228 million) after an antitrust investigation involving the reselling of Beats products.
Apple was fined 134.5 million euros ($151M), and Amazon was fined 68.7 million euros. Both were ordered to end the restrictions, letting other companies sell "genuine" Apple and Beats products in a non-discriminatory manner.
2020
Koss sues Apple over alleged wireless-earphone patent infringement
Lawsuit filed
Koss filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal court alleging that Apple's AirPods and Beats by Dre wireless earphones infringed five of its patents. The allegations are reported as claims, not as a court determination.
Source excerpt
当地时间7月22日，美国老牌耳机生产商KossCorporation（高斯）正式向美国德州地方法院提起诉讼，指控苹果公司旗下所有的AirPods系列以及Beats by Dre系列无线耳机产品均部分或全部侵犯了其5项无线耳机专利。
值得一提的是，在不久前的7月16日，美国消费电子制造商One-E-Way公司也起诉苹果AirPos系列及苹果子公司Beats的耳机侵犯了其于2001年获得的无线音频系统的一系列专利。
One-E-Way在其案件中要求支付专利费、利息和法庭费用
2015
Monster litigation over the Beats relationship
Monster alleged that Beats used improper tactics to end their business relationship while retaining rights connected with jointly developed products and technology. Monster also alleged anticompetitive conduct. The case was dismissed in 2016 after the court held that Beats had the contractual right to terminate the agreement.