American iPod owners who have experienced battery problems may be eligible to receive a $50 Apple voucher and extended service warranties following a preliminary court ruling in California. As previously reported, Apple ran into problems early on with the iPod's battery life, mainly because the batteries had a habit of dying just outside the standard Apple one year warranty period. For a time consumers couldn't buy replacement batteries, meaning users would have to buy a whole new iPod. Although Apple conceded that that was a bit unfair and started selling replacement batteries, some in the legal community said that iPod advertising implied batteries would work fine for the lifetime of the player, and that Apple owed an obligation to iPod owners to ensure that they did.
After much legal wrangling over the whole thing, the latest court settlement would mean Apple would have to make the voucher and warranty extension available to everyone who bought iPods during that period, which is probably about 2 million people. Apple would have to email or write to people they know are affected, and place ads in USA Today and Parade Magazine to promote the offer. The vouchers would be redeemable on any Apple product (but not on iTunes), while the extended warranties would mean many consumers could get their batteries replaced for free when they start to play up. The Californian Superior Court will make a final decision on that proposed settlement in Aug.