Several retailers in the Sim Lim Square shopping center in Singapore, as well as some local online outlets, have ceased sales of unlocked iPhones following legal threats from Apple. According to The Straits Times, retailers in the area say that Apple threatened in an email to pursue legal action against them should they continue to sell illegally unlocked iPhones, which could make them liable for penalties of up to $1000 for each phone sold.
“For a couple of tens of dollars, it’s not worth breaching the law for,” said one online retailer, who told the paper that the email was a factor in its decision to stop reselling the devices. Despite a check of 12 electronics and cellphone retailers in Sim Lim that saw not one openly offering the iPhone, a single store did indicate that the device could be “brought in” for interested customers.
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