Louis Rossmann
Apple uses federal trademark enforcement to block independent technicians from importing batteries for older laptops that the company itself refuses to service.
AI-assisted summary of Apple & Customs STOLE my batteries, that they won't even provide to AASPs. — original source. Check the original for full context.
Source published:
Key ideas
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a shipment of 20 original Apple laptop batteries valued at $1,068 intended for Rossmann Repair Group under trademark forfeiture statute 19 U.S.C. § 1526. (1:26)
- The seizure arrived immediately after Louis Rossmann appeared in an undercover CBC News investigation exposing Apple quoting up to $2,000 for a minor bent-pin display cable fix. (0:00)
- The confiscated batteries service older MacBook models classified by Apple as 'vintage', meaning Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers no longer provide replacement parts for them. (1:26)
- Rossmann vowed to contest the seizure regardless of legal expense, committing to spend up to $50,000 to defend the principle and inflict asymmetrical public relations damage on Apple. (4:35)
Detailed notes
## Background Published on YouTube by independent repair technician Louis Rossmann on October 18, 2018, this video details the federal seizure of imported replacement laptop batteries destined for his shop. The video description links to Rossmann's Right to Repair campaign, his MacBook logic board repair business, and a comprehensive directory of soldering tools, diagnostic gear, and repair equipment.
## TL;DR Days after collaborating on a CBC News investigation exposing Apple Store repair overcharging, Louis Rossmann received a U.S. Customs and Border Protection notice seizing 20 imported MacBook batteries valued at $1,068 under trademark counterfeit statutes. Rossmann points out that customs automatically presumes any component bearing an Apple logo is counterfeit, ignoring legitimate pulled OEM parts. Furthermore, Apple itself deems these older laptop models 'vintage' and refuses to supply replacement batteries to customers or Apple Authorized Service Providers. Infuriated by this supply chain trap designed to force hardware obsolescence, Rossmann vows to fight the seizure in court and inflict massive public relations costs on Apple on principle.
## Atmosphere & style The presentation is punchy, combative, and drenched in caustic sarcasm as Rossmann reviews official customs paperwork with deadpan mockery. Starting with wry amusement over the suspicious timing following his undercover media report, his delivery swiftly intensifies into focused, righteous indignation. Watching it feels like witnessing an unfiltered, high-stakes declaration of defiance from an independent repair advocate willing to take on tech giants and federal bureaucracies on principle.
## Bulletin - [01:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=86s) U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a shipment of 20 original Apple laptop batteries valued at $1,068 intended for Rossmann Repair Group under trademark forfeiture statute 19 U.S.C. § 1526. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=0s) The seizure arrived immediately after Louis Rossmann appeared in an undercover CBC News investigation exposing Apple quoting up to $2,000 for a minor bent-pin display cable fix. - [01:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=86s) The confiscated batteries service older MacBook models classified by Apple as 'vintage', meaning Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers no longer provide replacement parts for them. - [04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=275s) Rossmann vowed to contest the seizure regardless of legal expense, committing to spend up to $50,000 to defend the principle and inflict asymmetrical public relations damage on Apple.
## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=0s) The CBP seizure occurred suspiciously close to the broadcast of an undercover CBC News exposé regarding predatory Apple Store repair quotes. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=0s) Undercover reporting showed Apple quoting a customer between $1,200 and $2,000 for a repair requiring only an inexpensive LCD cable adjustment. - [01:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=86s) CBP intercepted 20 laptop batteries in Louisville, Kentucky under 19 U.S.C. § 1526, alleging counterfeit trademark violations. - [01:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=86s) Customs enforcement automatically presumes any component bearing an Apple logo from a third party is counterfeit, ignoring legitimate OEM pulls and recycled parts. - [01:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=86s) The official CBP seizure notice offered bureaucratic remedies including administrative petitions, financial compromise settlements, and judicial forfeiture requests. - [01:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=86s) Taking no action on the notice results in automatic forfeiture and transfer of property title to the federal government after 30 days of public notice. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=0s) Apple refuses to provide replacement batteries for devices labeled 'vintage' after 4 to 5 years, right when lithium-ion batteries naturally degrade. - [04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=275s) Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) cannot service these older machines because Apple actively withholds parts allocations for vintage devices. - [04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=275s) Independent repair shops face a complete supply chain blockade: Apple will not sell counter parts, AASPs cannot obtain them, and imports are seized at the border. - [04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=275s) Customs seizures targeting independent repair businesses represent an ongoing pattern, mirroring prior confiscations experienced by Jessa Jones of iPad Rehab. - [04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=275s) Rossmann argued that trademark enforcement is leveraged not to protect consumers from counterfeits, but to enforce planned obsolescence and block third-party repair. - [04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=275s) Rossmann pledged to challenge Apple's executive leadership publicly, asserting he would spend tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend independent repair principles.
## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=0s) Suspicious Timing Following the CBC Investigation
Just days prior, Louis Rossmann collaborated on an undercover investigative piece with CBC News exposing Apple Store repair practices. In that segment, an Apple Store quoted a customer between $1,200 and $2,000 to repair a MacBook that required nothing more than an LCD display cable replacement because a pin had been accidentally bent—likely when the owner attempted to install their own screen. Almost immediately after the report gained widespread public attention, Rossmann received a seizure notice from U.S. Customs and Border Protection for an incoming shipment of laptop batteries. Rossmann sarcastically notes the extraordinary coincidence, pointing out that after years of routinely importing original components without issue, federal agents suddenly intercepted his shipment right as the embarrassing CBC broadcast went live.
The seizure letter specifically targeted batteries meant for older MacBook models that Apple itself refuses to fix. Apple designates hardware as "vintage" after roughly four to five years, meaning customers can no longer obtain official battery replacements at the Apple Store. Yet, when an independent repair business imports original batteries to service those same abandoned machines, the company uses federal authorities to intercept them under the pretext of intellectual property enforcement. Rossmann highlights the absurdity of the situation: “A machine that you cannot have your battery replaced on at an Apple Store because they think it's vintage, they will not allow me to replace a battery on because when I import batteries that are original, they'll tell me they're counterfeit and have them stolen from me by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.”
The official document—titled *Notice of Seizure and Information to Claimants (Non-CAFRA Form)* and dated October 15, 2018—was addressed to Rossmann Repair Group Inc. at 186 First Avenue in New York City. Rossmann chuckles at the department’s envelope formatting, which explicitly included the line "Mac Laptop Repair" right in the recipient field, and mocks the standard formal opening: “Dear Sir/Madam—thank you for not assuming my gender.”
---
[01:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=86s) The CBP Notice of Seizure and Legal Bureaucracy
Reading directly from the document, Rossmann lays out the formal justification provided by the federal government. On September 6, 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a parcel in Louisville, Kentucky containing 20 Apple laptop batteries, assigned an appraised domestic value of $1,068. The stated authority for the confiscation was 19 U.S.C. § 1526, a statute prohibiting the importation of merchandise bearing a counterfeit trademark registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and recorded with Customs.
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Independent Repair Battery Trap accDescr: Flowchart illustrating how Apple blocks repairs across official, authorized, and third-party channels. subgraph AppleChannels["Official Channels"] A["Customer needs battery for 5-year-old MacBook"] --> B["Apple Store / Genius Bar"] B -->|"Deemed 'Vintage'"| C["Service Refused"] A --> D["Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP)"] D -->|"Parts Denied by Apple"| C end subgraph ThirdParty["Independent Repair Channel"] A --> E["Rossmann Repair Group"] E --> F["Import genuine pulled/OEM batteries"] F --> G["U.S. Customs (CBP) Seizure under 19 U.S.C. § 1526"] G --> H["Deemed 'Counterfeit' without inspection"] end ```
Rossmann attacks the underlying bureaucratic assumption embedded in the law: customs authorities automatically classify any imported component displaying an Apple logo as counterfeit, entirely bypassing any empirical verification. The regulatory posture presumes that no private individual or third party could legitimately harvest genuine parts from decommissioned computers, retail store display units, or disassembled machines. Explaining the inherent flaw in this enforcement mechanism, Rossmann remarks: “It is assumed that if something has that logo on it—if it has an Apple logo on it—it must be counterfeit; it couldn't be that somebody who has these batteries decided to send them to me.”
The notice outlines several rigid legal paths available to the recipient, each wrapped in bureaucratic obstacles: - **Petition for Remission:** The claimant may file an administrative petition within 30 days seeking remission of the forfeiture. - **Offer in Compromise:** The claimant can propose a monetary settlement under 19 U.S.C. § 1617, which must be accompanied by an upfront cashier's check, certified check, or bank draft drawn on a U.S. financial institution. Rossmann scoffs at the suggestion, joking that he will definitely write Apple a settlement check right away. - **Abandonment:** The importer may check Box 3 on the election proceedings form, disavowing all legal claim and property rights in the shipment. - **Judicial Forfeiture (Court Action):** The claimant can request referral to the U.S. Attorney to initiate court proceedings, requiring formal written declarations and potentially posting a monetary bond. - **Take No Action:** If no response is filed, CBP publishes a public notice of seizure and intent to forfeit for 30 consecutive days, after which full legal title automatically transfers to the federal government. Rossmann deadpans: “Take no action—yep, that's what I'm known for: taking no action.” - **Release on Payment:** If the goods are not legally barred from entry into U.S. commerce, the claimant may offer to pay the government the full appraised domestic market value of $1,068 to recover them.
---
[04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=275s) Vintage Machines, Supply Chain Blockades, and Retaliation
Rossmann stresses that this seizure is not an isolated incident, but part of a persistent strategy he has reported on since 2013, wherein Apple collaborates with border agencies to police the independent repair market under the guise of intellectual property protection. He references a similar high-profile incident involving Jessa Jones of iPad Rehab, whose imported iPhone screens were confiscated by Customs. Rossmann directly challenges repair commentators and apologists who defend Apple's policies under the claim that withholding manuals and components is not an active attempt to block repairs, or that Apple is merely protecting consumers from low-grade counterfeit parts.
The reality for repair businesses is a total supply chain Catch-22 designed to force obsolescence. An independent technician cannot purchase batteries from Apple retail stores because Apple will not sell spare parts across the counter. Joining the Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) network offers no solution either, because Apple cuts off parts allocation for any model marked "vintage"—which conveniently occurs after four to five years, precisely when original lithium-ion cells degrade and fail. When independent technicians source authentic OEM batteries or premium working pulls overseas to maintain high service standards—reflected in the 4.9 out of 5-star rating on the Rossmann Group web store—Apple leverages federal trademark enforcement to have the cargo seized at port.
Infuriated by the institutional bullying, Rossmann makes it clear that he will not back down over the financial cost. He views the seizure not as a minor customs dispute, but as an existential fight for consumer repair rights. Drawing a firm line against Apple's executive leadership, Rossmann states: “I don't care if I have to spend $50,000 in legal fees to get back my thousand dollars' worth of batteries—this is principle.” He vows to turn the incident into an expensive public relations disaster for the company, promising to extract an asymmetric toll for every obstacle placed in his path: “For every dollar you cost me, I'm going to ensure that it costs you at least a hundred thousand dollars per dollar that you cost me.” He concludes the video with a direct warning aimed at Apple CEO Tim Cook and retail chief Angela Ahrendts, promising that independent technicians will continue shining a light on corporate repair practices until consumers understand how they are being exploited.
## Notable quotes > [04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw&t=275s) I don't care if I have to spend $50,000 in legal fees to get back my thousand dollars' worth of batteries—this is principle. — Louis Rossmann
## Mentioned Apple, Louis Rossmann, Rossmann Repair Group Inc., CBC News, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Apple Authorized Service Provider, MacBook, Jessa Jones, iPad Rehab, Tim Cook, Angela Ahrendts
## Video description https://matrix.to/#/#rossmannrepair:matrix.org Let's get Right to Repair passed! https://gofund.me/1cba2545 We repair Macbook logic boards: https://rossmanngroup.com/macbook-logic-board-repair 👉 Find tools used, recording gear, repair guides, chip sources, & cryptocurrency donation links below:
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[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVL65qwBGnw)