Lawsuit claims Apple purposefully locks out competing software on iPhone

The sun has risen, the larks are singing and another person has filed suit against Apple over its handling of iPhone unlocking. This time, however, it’s a lawyer filing the suit; Apple must be trembling…

Filed in California, the suit (yes, the person, Max Folkenflik, wants the suit to achieve class action status) alleges that Apple illegally bundles its iPhone with AT&T and its own software. To that end, the suit points to the so-called “whitelist” found in the iPhone that dictates what thrid-party software can be installed on the phone. The theory here is, what purpose does the whitelist serve other than to lock out competing software?

There’s a second part to the lawsuit, but to my untrained eyes it seems to be more of a stretch: you can only buy the iPhone at one price. There’s no way to buy it unlocked (for a higher price), which isn’t the case with other cellphones. The only reason that Apple can get away with this is that it dominates the [iPhone] market so thoroughly no one can stop it.

Obviously if the suit gains class action status it becomes a much bigger pain for Apple. Right now, though, it’s just another lawsuit for Apple to deal with.

iPhone lawsuits are the new black.

Lawyer Sues Over iPhone’s Little White List [Bits New York Times Blog]