Judge allows Apple class action lawsuit over Breaking Bad "Season Pass" to continue
Last September, Apple was hit with a class action lawsuit after one user discovered that the US$22.99 he shelled out via iTunes for a "Season Pass" of Breaking Bad season 5 only covered the season's first 8 episodes. In light of that, Apple did the right thing and told affected users that they'd be entitled to a full $22.99 refund.
Nonetheless, a judge this week issued a ruling allowing the lawsuit to proceed with the plaintiff asserting a claim of false advertising -- which, in my opinion, is exceedingly bizarre given that A.) there are no damages to speak of and B.) the root of the problem lies with AMC and Sony, not Apple.
Here's a brief recap of how this problem came to be.
As a Breaking Bad fan who was borderline-obsessed with the show, I'll proudly admit that I've listened to every episode of the official Breaking Bad podcast -- all 62 episodes. As a result, I know a thing or two about a thing or two and distinctly recall show creator Vince Gilligan saying that the final 16 episodes were meant, in his eyes and in the eyes of the writing staff, to comprise a single season.
At the same time, Gilligan didn't want to rush to finish his masterpiece too quickly. Figuring out how to end the Emmy award-winning show was no small task, and Gilligan and his team wanted to take their time with the final eight episodes to ensure that they were befitting of the series. Hence, there was a production delay between filming the first eight and second eight episodes.
Looking to capitalize on the delay, the decision to treat the final 16 episodes as two distinct seasons was made by AMC and Sony, not Apple. Specifically, the "Breaking Bad" listings on iTunes were based on how Sony wanted them viewed.
What's also strange is that the plaintiff in the original lawsuit wasn't suing for millions, but rather just for $20, just a simple refund. And yet, with Apple granting refunds to affected users who felt duped, the lawsuit is slogging on regardless.
