Apple turning the thumbscrews on Louis Rossman?

[Macbeth]

I don't know what to say. 

[ProBang2]

Two hints for Apple:

   1. Google immediatly: "Streisand effect"
   2. Google immediatly: "Pyrrhic victory"

[george graves]

99.9% of apple's customers don't care.

Maybe the next macbook will be encapsulated in kryptonite - and 100% unrepairable.

Louis doesn't have all his eggs in one basket.  And it won't be the first time a repair industry went to the way of the dodo bird.  (see TV and VCR repair)

[Fraser]

Whoa what's going on here. It sounds pretty bad for Louis. Reading between the lines it sounds like he is being taken to court by someone (Apple) over carrying out repairs on YouTube. Am I close ?

I really like Louis. Sure he can be very blunt in his delivery but this is a chap who provides an insight into his repair work free of charge in the hope that others will learn from what he uploads. An unselfish person for whom I have great respect. I have learnt from his YouTube channel, not so much the technical side, but the business and human interaction side of his commentary.

As he says in his video, he has not had the easiest of lives up to this point, but he has made something of himself despite these setbacks, and he employed others.

A good man and one who I hope to hear more from in the future.

Fraser

[Fraser]

As a Doctor Who fan...........

https://youtu.be/g1yMNgvebOI

[Brumby]

Louis is very clear in not being specific about the troubles he will be facing.  This sounds like a legal gag - the sort of thing a plaintiff might write into a lawsuit to prevent the defendant from advertising the action.  Just the sort of thing you would expect from any entity with a high visibility, high profile, high value image they don't want muddied.

Considering some of the opinions expressed by Louis on particular repair issues, it's not hard to come up with a short list of possible candidates.

A very short list.

If it is who we all think it is - and Louis' channel gets the chop ... I'd be REALLY wanting to know some details.

But don't ask Louis.

As much as he might be keen to share, I have no doubt he will be tied up in a million miles of red tape, preventing him from saying any more than he has.


I would be interested if it were possible to see if there were any cases being brought against Louis, say from public records.  This may not give any details of the case, but it might identify the parties...

[EEVblog]

Huh? I watched 12 minutes and learned nothing apart from the fact that his channel or content might be removed by someone?
He didn't mention Apple.
 

[EEVblog]

Whoa what's going on here. It sounds pretty bad for Louis. Reading between the lines it sounds like he is being taken to court by someone (Apple) over carrying out repairs on YouTube. Am I close ?

If this is a true then perhaps this is something that EFF will help fight?

[Brumby]

Huh? I watched 12 minutes and learned nothing apart from the fact that his channel or content might be removed by someone?
He didn't mention Apple.
 

Neither did I.



Certainly, it is a bit of a mystery, but there is a logical direction for people's thinking.  Also, if he wanted to exclude Apple from the speculation, I'm sure he could have done so.

We don't know if it is Apple - but then again, we don't know if it isn't.


Perhaps the best point we should take into consideration - especially here - is to not delve so deeply into speculation and launch into attacks that could risk this site being cited for defamation.

[EEVblog]

Perhaps the best point we should take into consideration - especially here - is to not delve so deeply into speculation and launch into attacks that could risk this site being cited for defamation.

Forum owners cannot be (successfully) sued for something they didn't say.

[SteveyG]

Wow, this guy like to ramble on.  It looks like half his videos are like this.

[rsjsouza]

Huh? I watched 12 minutes and learned nothing apart from the fact that his channel or content might be removed by someone?
He didn't mention Apple.
 

Same feel here; I am glad I multitask. However, in all fairness, the title is posed as a question not an affirmative sentence - a trick to lure viewers (nice played, Macbeth!  )

Perhaps the best point we should take into consideration - especially here - is to not delve so deeply into speculation and launch into attacks that could risk this site being cited for defamation.

Forum owners cannot be (successfully) sued for something they didn't say.

Yes, but the headache...

[Macbeth]

Huh? I watched 12 minutes and learned nothing apart from the fact that his channel or content might be removed by someone?
He didn't mention Apple.
 

I got the impression he may be forced to close his NY repair business down too - which specialises in Apple repairs.

Same feel here; I am glad I multitask. However, in all fairness, the title is posed as a question not an affirmative sentence - a trick to lure viewers (nice played, Macbeth!  )

The question mark is quite deliberate.

My speculation is that some of those videos showing what appear to be leaked Apple schematics and board layouts have something to do with this turn of events.

Apple are are also an opponent of the Right to Repair bill in NY which Louis supports. Politics, corporate lobbyists and lawyers. Sleaze...

[CJay]

From personal experience, I know Apple do not like people repairing their products, they will make efforts to stop you.

It's not a pleasant experience looking down the wrong end of a letter from their legal team.

Whether this is what's happened to Louis I don't know, but it feels familiar.

[TheAmmoniacal]

In his most recent iPhone repair he screen-captured how he got schematics for the iPhone (downloading ZXW blackfish files). It works if you have this dongle http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Zillion-x-Work-ZXW-DONGLE-Repair-mobile-phone-circuit-board-the-circuit-diagram/1113184_32330995780.html

Which I assume has stolen/leaked schematics for all major phones and macbooks.

Might be illegal to get stolen schematics, so showing it = assisting in a crime?

[EEVblog]

The really intriguing part is him not mentioning who it is.
This means that:
a) He's signed something that prevents him saying anything
or
b) He's been threatened so badly not to name them that he's scared to do so.

I gathered from the video that he plans to go down fighting, so neither of those scenarios seems to make sense?
If it is a lawsuit from a big company, then likely the only chance he has of winning is going public and hope to solicit the help of the EFF or some other legal group, or to raise public funds to fight it.

[Kjelt]

or was told by his lawyer in order to facilitate negotiations.
Sometimes you can work something out in the backroom, but by naming and shaming your opponent on forehand on a global social medium might just not be the best strategy.

[rsjsouza]

The really intriguing part is him not mentioning who it is.
This means that:
a) He's signed something that prevents him saying anything
or
b) He's been threatened so badly not to name them that he's scared to do so.

I gathered from the video that he plans to go down fighting, so neither of those scenarios seems to make sense?
If it is a lawsuit from a big company, then likely the only chance he has of winning is going public and hope to solicit the help of the EFF or some other legal group, or to raise public funds to fight it.

Hard to say but, if b), perhaps a criminal charge? Or blackmail from the Jersey Mafias?

[wraper]

The really intriguing part is him not mentioning who it is.
This means that:
a) He's signed something that prevents him saying anything
or
b) He's been threatened so badly not to name them that he's scared to do so.

3. If you make that thing public, you loose the case because the court will assume that your witness had been coordinated.

[gnavigator1007]

Saw on reddit that there is a full torrent of his channel up in case he gets shutdown.  I really hope he pulls through this.  I've always enjoyed his videos even though I'm not into Apple stuff

[mikeselectricstuff]

If it was a legal threat against the content, surely Youtube would already have taken it down.
Not clear if "tomorrow" is literal or metaphorical.
It's so vague it could even be a major health issue.

[joseph nicholas]

Its time for Louis to reinvent himself in the the great American tradition.  Here is a young energetic person who can still bounce back from adversity.  Imagine all those older people who have been wronged and don´t have the looks and energy any more to cope with adversity. 

[JPortici]

Whoa what's going on here. It sounds pretty bad for Louis. Reading between the lines it sounds like he is being taken to court by someone (Apple) over carrying out repairs on YouTube. Am I close ?

Maybe this has something to do with the right to repair bill that was being discussed these days. Anyone in the area cared to follow?

I'm not sure of what's happening either. I truly hope there will be a follow up soon to shred some light

[JPortici]

He might have its channel shut down and videos removed because he is violating a trademark. has happened before. here in italy a couple of years ago, mediaset (major station) forced youtube to remove EVERY video that had references to its name and its logo. people knew about it only the morning after it happened

[TheAmmoniacal]

I know Louis lurks these forums, if we're lucky we might get a clue!