Corporation global dominance
of the day.
It was speculative before given the lack of independent confirmation, but now apparently Apple has gone on record to confirm that the original deal signed with AT&T for iPhone exclusivity back in 2007 was a five-year deal. That means at least some legal hoops would need jumping through if we’re ever going to see that oft-rumored Verizon iPhone before 2012.
Engadget reports that court documents filed by Apple in a California class-action suit confirm the original AT&T exclusivity deal had a five-year duration. The suit, ongoing since 2007, claims that Apple and AT&T were exerting a monopoly over iPhone service by surreptitiously locking iPhone buyers into renewing contracts with AT&T once their initial two years was up.
On the flip side, there are a number of reasons such a contract might be amended or canceled, so it’s not exactly a total given that the iPhone won’t appear on another carrier before 2012. But given the original terms, it could require some tricky negotiation or legal fancy footwork to get there.
But corporate dominance runs the day yet again.
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