Sweden, NZ scrutinise Apple on 4G iPad

Following the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC's) iPad + 4G lawsuit against Apple this week, other countries have reportedly started eyeing legal challenges against the company in their own countries.

The New Zealand Commerce Commission has received an official complaint about Apple advertising the new iPad as 4G capable in the country, according to a TVNZ report late yesterday, which said that the watchdog would be carefully scrutinising the situation as it unfolds here in Australia.

Sweden's consumer watchdog, meanwhile, has also received several complaints against the new iPad's 4G advertising, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

"One may rightfully ask if the marketing of the new iPad is misleading. While iPad is equipped with 4G connectivity, it will only work in the US and Canada. The question is whether this information is clear enough in Apple's marketing," Marek Andersson, a lawyer with the Swedish Consumer Agency, told The Wall Street Journal.

If any complaint was made by the Swedish consumer authority, it would need to be taken to Apple's head office in Europe, which is situated in Ireland.

Apple has run afoul of the world's consumer rights groups following its advertising for the iPad, which claims that the device has 4G capability, when in fact the device's capability is only available if the user's telco operates 4G in the 700MHz and 2100MHz spectrum bands. Telstra 4G network and Optus' planned 4G network operate in the 1800MHz band.

The ACCC took Apple to court earlier this week and has since reached an agreement with Apple that would see the gadget giant display corrective advertising and contact customers to offer them refunds. The ACCC is still bringing a case against Apple for misleading advertising, which will be heard in May.