Japanese couple sues Sony and Apple over burning battery

A Japanese couple in Tokyo are suing both Sony and Apple Japan for "over" 2 million yen ($16,700 US, quite conservative if you ask us Yanks) over a laptop battery which caught fire in April of last year. The suit argues that the man suffered burns on his finger when the battery burst into flames while being used, and his wife had to be treated for mental distress due to the incident. Of course, this isn't surprising considering the long-acknowledged problems with the recalled Sony-built batteries, and is probably just a sign of things to come as scarred users seek a righteous vengeance against companies that openly admit wrongdoing. Sony better just hope that they didn't make this battery.

[paloooz @ Jul 25th 2007 3:21PM]

Here comes a giant PC vs. Mac flamefest!

Pun _INTENDED!_

[Matt @ Jul 25th 2007 3:25PM]

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/war/why-cant-we-be-friends.html

[michael @ Jul 25th 2007 3:37PM]

Be careful, about Matt's link - I got lots of pop-ups come up, and I have a real efficient pop-up blocker. So be careful. It's just a bunch of lyrics saying Let's be friends, over and over again anyways.

The pop-ups came on the first time I clicked it, but not the 2nd time, but still be careful.

[Matt @ Jul 25th 2007 3:51PM]

Sorry yeah it does have pop-ups... but don't all lyrics sites have them?

[Romey Rome @ Jul 25th 2007 4:10PM]

@ Matt

Thanks to Firefox's NoScript add-on I don't even know what pop ups are any more!

[capsthegangster @ Jul 25th 2007 4:36PM]

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
go noscript

if u dont got it. GET IT

http://noscript.net/

[Terc @ Jul 25th 2007 7:06PM]

Actually, the problem is just that michael hasn't yet discovered that there are alternatives to Internet Explorer

I just tested in a clean install of firefox (with popup blocking enabled by default) and got ZERO pop ups. (I was notified that the site attempted to launch a pop up though)

[Eric Leung @ Jul 26th 2007 3:53AM]

well for mozilla it only works till you click on the screen.. then another one pops up

[Mark @ Jul 26th 2007 12:26PM]

@ terc - oh for sure, i mean it's not like there's been a pop-up blocker in ie since xp sp2, right?

[David @ Jul 25th 2007 3:31PM]

Isn't that where the HD is? My MBP battery is right in the middle. Also, why is the screen burned if he was "using it" when it caught fire. I guess he could've closed it when it started spewing smoke. Any ideas?

[Lawrence @ Jul 25th 2007 3:37PM]

Because that isn't the actual picture from the event? Engadget often use relevant pictures

[Vinay @ Jul 25th 2007 3:38PM]

He must have tried to shut it as soon as it burst into flames... he must've imagined it might switch off the computer and stop what he must've assumed was a short circuit... just maybe.

[J. Chung @ Jul 25th 2007 3:39PM]

...Because it's a Powerbook where battery sits on the corner. And I think that the person tried to extinguish the fire by shutting the lid.
(I would. Well, burning down a single laptop is better than burning a whole house down. Shut the thing, throw it out to backyard if you can, and get the fire extinguisher.)

[David @ Jul 25th 2007 3:43PM]

Lawrence- Can you tell if this is a MBP in the picture? If it is, it looks ilke the HD melted down. I don't remember how the Aluminum PowerBooks were configured internally...

[bombastinator @ Jul 25th 2007 3:44PM]

Its a G4 powerbook Aluminum. Note the single latch in front of the track pad. They did have their batteries in that location. If it was a Sony recall battery and he didn't turn it in for a good one it's his own dang fault however.

[Blake Kachman @ Jul 25th 2007 4:29PM]

The other way you can tell it's a powerbook is because the trackpads on MBPs are much longer, this one has a short track pad. It's definitely a PB. But like Lawrence said, that's irrelevent because this probably is just a recycled photo anyhow.

[cvuletich302 @ Jul 25th 2007 3:39PM]

I possibly see a problem with this story...

Note how the burn mark on the left front corner of the laptop matches up directly with the burn mark on the screen on the upper left corner (if the laptop was closed, of course). If the laptop was "in use" as the article claims, then that would mean he was using some 3rd party application like "Sleepless" or something similar so that the laptop wouldn't go to sleep when it was closed. Apple actually recommends strongly to NOT use these types of apps right in MBP documentation to prevent overheating.

Knowing this, can they still rightly sue? *shrug*

[Alex @ Jul 25th 2007 5:17PM]

It is a Powerbook G4. I have the same model. I used to run it all the time with an external monitor, closed. I stopped because the monitor failed. I tend to believe that he closed it when it caught fire, trying to put it out. IF this is even a picture of that laptop.

[Paul @ Jul 25th 2007 5:07PM]

A few things:
1. Its probably a stock photo
2. If my battery started to explode, I would probably slam that lid shut and run
3. What kind of monopolistic company only lets you install their programs on your computer??

[krizoitz @ Jul 25th 2007 6:46PM]

@Paul

Uh who said anything about Apple only letting you install their programs on it? cvuletich302 said that Apple recommends against apps that keep the computer running when the lid is closed and bypass the normal heat protections. You need to quit being a troll or atleast go find a bridge to live under and leave the rest of us alone

[paul34 @ Jul 25th 2007 3:43PM]

Ah. That's because the Japanese couple are obviously amateurs when it comes to lawsuits.

They should live in the US for a few years and learn how its done. Walk into a bathroom, "slip and fall," then clean out the place where you fell. Hit a lightpole? No problem, just sue the utility company for putting a lightpole in a place where someone could run off the street and hit it!

In fact, sue the car company, too. How dare they NOT take the safety of customers into account by developing APCCS (anti pole collision control system)?

Oh and sue God too because he let me live...

[NHAnimator @ Jul 25th 2007 3:48PM]

I think someone owes ME some money. I bought a plasma TV at Circuit City and got burned.

[Ivan @ Jul 25th 2007 3:57PM]

Unfortunately, Sony has so much money that this doesn't really matter to them. If it is their battery I'm sure they'll just pay off the couple. The only real concern for Sony is that more people who have experienced similar incidents will sue (for more money).

cvuletich302:
As for the issue you've brought up, I doubt that Sleepless or a similar application caused THAT much overheating. From the looks of it the battery did explode, but I doubt anyone was near it. Sony still might fork over the cash, because it'd be cheaper than a long lawsuit (unless they want to run these people into the ground to prove a point that they won't give up money without a fight).

-Vainentree
http://thenerdcan.wordpress.com/

[Ivan @ Jul 25th 2007 3:59PM]

My same points are true for Apple too, I didn't see that the lawsuit was against both (I should skim less).

-Vainentree
http://thenerdcan.wordpress.com/

[Ivan @ Jul 25th 2007 3:59PM]

My same points are true for Apple too, I didn't see that the lawsuit was against both (I should skim less).

-Vainentree
http://thenerdcan.wordpress.com/

[Drew @ Jul 25th 2007 4:22PM]

"mental distress?" now that appears to be the american side of the lawsuit...

[Blake Kachman @ Jul 25th 2007 4:34PM]

When she's crying do you think there's a voice over of a little Japanese girl laughing like they have in Iron Chef?

[loci @ Jul 25th 2007 4:37PM]

im a mac

[loci @ Jul 25th 2007 4:58PM]

"and I'm a pc"

actually so am i, i.just wanted to belong to a group and conform....if only for a moment.
being an individual is tough...sometimes you just want to go apple....stepford wife styli

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Jul 25th 2007 6:15PM]

I'MA F**KING AMIGA w0000000000000000000000t!!!


No, I'm a PC.

[SeVeMaS @ Jul 25th 2007 5:31PM]

Well let's see, the screen is burned in the same place as below the keyboard, and it looks that it was closed when it burns, so, hands burned my ass. this for me was a burning while charging and... with a non original charger as usual in those cases.

[Steve @ Jul 25th 2007 5:41PM]

Let's stop focusing on the pic, which is almost assuredly a stock photo from somewhere.

What I want to know is, why didn't they send in for a new battery when Sony and Apple issued recalls? By not relinquishing their hardware when the recall has been known about for some time, doesn't that make the manufacturers exempt from litigation? At least reduce their legal responsibilities?

[Ivan @ Jul 25th 2007 5:53PM]

Good point Steve. I shouldn't have been talking about the picture at all, their is very little chance it's from this couple.

-Vainentree
http://thenerdcan.wordpress.com/

[diego @ Jul 25th 2007 7:53PM]

that's a PB G4; there doesn't appear to be an iSight on the display
and the hard drive is right in the middle, under the trackpad
closing the lid would be a natural reaction if the thing suddenly blew up under your hands
still, $16,000? Steve can give them his lunch money and be done with it
Don't know about Sony; apparently they're not in business to make money according to their CEO

[Unboring @ Jul 25th 2007 10:47PM]

more negative news from engadget involving sony, im not suprised, the anti-sony vibes i get from this otherwise reputable website are palpable. It is really unfortunate.

[Wheatie @ Jul 25th 2007 11:40PM]

OK folks, let's do a detailed analysis of the photo.

Taking a spectral ima..

HEY, doesn't the pic on the right look like a wicked cool alien landscape?

[Ronald McD @ Jul 26th 2007 5:11PM]

I'm sure we'd appreciate if Engadget would start mentioning where the photos come from. They often try to use it as an opportunity to be funny, but it just ends up being misleading.