Apple Offers $3.54M To Settle Canadian iPod Battery Lawsuits

May 9, 2008 12:43 p.m. EST

Toronto, Canada (AHN) - Canadian iPod owners could receive a $44 credit on media devices purchased before 2004, in a lawsuit settlement offer. The lawsuits had claimed the lifetime of iPod batteries were less than half that advertised.

The settlement offer, not yet finalized by Canadian courts, would provide $3.54 million in Apple store credits for up to 80,000 owners of iPods bought before June 24, 2004. The credits could be applied to purchases at Apple stores online.

Two lawsuits charged batteries for the music player lasted only three hours while Apple advertised an eight-hour lifespan. One of the lawsuits, filed in Toronto, gained class-action status. The second lawsuit, filed in Montreal, did not gain the wider status.

Another Canada lawsuit, awaiting class-action status, was filed by a Montreal law student. The legal claim charges iPod Nanos advertised as having 8-gigabytes of storage actual can hold 7.45-gigabytes. The student, David Britton, is asking for a full refund or 7.5 percent of the purchase price plus $75 in damages.