Apple earned a court victory this week, as a U.S. District Court Judge dismissed on Tuesday a group lawsuit sought by former iPhone user Adrienne Moore that claimed Apple’s messaging system interfered with the delivery of her texts following her switch from the iPhone over to the Android platform.
U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh on Tuesday ruled the case can’t proceed as a group lawsuit because it’s not clear enough that all proposed members of the suit suffered an inconvenience due to any “contractual breach or interference” stemming from the iMessage system.
Koh wrote in her ruling that even if iMessage has “systematic flaws that could result in the disruption of text messaging services, that determination does not assist the court in determining whether iMessage actually caused the proposed class members to suffer any interference.”
The ruling is seen as a win for Apple, as it saves the company potential costs in defending the case, and removes possible leverage the plaintiffs may have gained in order to make a deal.
Bloomberg notes the lawsuit claimed customers who replace their Apple devices with non-Apple wireless phones and tablets are “penalized and unable to obtain the full benefits of their wireless-service contracts.”
The lawsuit claimed Apple failed to tell users that switching to a device other than one running its iOS platform could result in interference in receiving text messages. The lawsuit is based on laws covering contractual interference and unfair competition.
