Norway shop owner triumphs over Apple in ‘right-to-repair’ case

Apple said an unauthorized repair shop owner in Norway violated its trademark by using aftermarket iPhone parts, but a court decided in favor of the shop owner, notes Motherboard.

In 2017 the tech giant’s lawyers sent Henrik Huseby, the owner of a small electronics repair shop in Norway, a letter demanding that he immediately stop using aftermarket iPhone screens at his repair business and that he pay the company a settlement. Huseby decided to fight the tech giant, Apple sued, but Huseby won. Apple has appealed the decision to a higher court; the court hasn’t yet decided whether to accept the appeal.

All this involves the “right to repair.” Last month California became the latest state to prepare “right to repair” legislation that would require companies like Apple to provide consumers and third-party repair outlets access to repair information, diagnostic equipment and parts. 

The Right to Repair Act will provide consumers with the freedom to have their electronic products and appliances fixed by a repair shop or service provider of their choice. Apple has opposed such a bill. 

The company has never authorized an independent company to repair iPhones, though it has for Macs. Still, hundreds of companies do repair iPhones, but many of them have to salvage parts from recycled devices or get them on the Chinese grey market.