While hedge fund Standard General was the top bidder for the RadioShack brand and customer data, Apple wants to ensure that any of that customer data doesn’t come from any sales of Apple products.
The hedge fund Standard General was the top bidder with $26.2 million for RadioShack’s brand name and customer data. The same firm bought out Radio Shack’s 1,700 store leases in March, as noted by Bloomberg.
As the bidding was underway in a Delaware bankruptcy court, Apple joined in with a filing of its own, arguing that its agreements with RadioShack prevents any data obtained form customers purchasing Apple products from being resold.
“In order to protect its customers’ personal information, Apple oversees the collection and use of customer information collected by its retail partners, including RadioShack,” Apple’s filing with the court reads. “The reseller agreement between Apple and RadioShack protects information collected by RadioShack regarding purchasers of Apple products and prohibits the proposed sale of such information.”
AT&T is also joining the proceeding, saying that RadioShack “seemingly intends” to sell customer information obtained from the sale of AT&T devices.
Standard General’s bid for RadioShack must still be approved by the bankruptcy court judge overseeing the case, Judge Brendan L. Shannon. The judge will also oversee the transfer of customer data, which includes approximately 67 million home addresses, as well as 8.5 million email addresses. A hearing has been set for May 20th.
The judge stated last month that he wouldn’t approve the sale of any customer data he finds impermissible, something Apple and AT&T are both hoping he will rule in the case of their customers’ data.
