According to the report Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said this to member nations:

‘Apple prominently advertised that its products come with a one-year manufacturer warranty but failed to clearly indicate the consumers’ automatic and free-of-cost entitlement to a minimum two-year guarantee under EU law,’ Reding said to ministers in the letter, which was obtained by Bloomberg News. ‘These are unacceptable marketing practices.’

This is an issue that goes back at least a year in Europe. Italy has been the most aggressive about enforcing this law against Apple: It has fined the company for only advertising a free one-year warranty when selling iPhones, iPads and other electronics to customers, and for selling additional warranty coverage through AppleCare without notifying buyers in the country that they have a legal right to free, two-year protection.

Earlier this summer, the Italian government threatened to shut down Apple’s operations within the country if it failed to pay the fines and comply with the law. It doesn’t appear Apple has taken steps to address the issue publicly. But now the issue threatens to grow far larger than just Italy as the European Union’s legal arm appears ready to get involved.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Italy’s Competition and Market Guarantor Authority (AGCM) is threatening to fine Apple 300,000 euros (about $377,500) for giving one year of warranty service to customers for free, but charging for additional coverage through its AppleCare product. Italy requires all companies offer two years of product coverage for free.

According to Reuters:

The AGCM said in its monthly bulletin that Apple was continuing to adopt unfair commercial practices in Italy and noted this could eventually lead to the closure of its Italian operations for up to 30 days.

The U.S. group has 30 days to respond.

The AGCM alleges that information provided by Apple about an extra guarantee scheme encourages customers to buy the service without clearly explaining that the company is obliged to offer a two-year free warranty, the source said.

In December Apple was ordered to pay 400,000 euros for not explaining the two-year warranty guarantee to Italian consumers and an additional 500,000 euros for offering AppleCare without a complete explanation of consumers’ rights. It appealed the fines but lost, and is now facing more fines. It’s not clear how big Apple’s operations are in the country in total, but it does have 10 retail stores.

Apple has scored some important legal wins here at home recently — but its luck hasn’t been as consistent on the international stage.

The 4G iPad false advertising case in Australia, a $60 million iPad trademark payout in China, and Italy’s aggressiveness on enforcing warranty rules shows that even the richest and most influential tech company in the world isn’t immune to local laws and red tape. Luckily for Apple, it has enough cash in the bank to shrug off a few million-dollar fines here and there.

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But what if you could get a warranty on a jailbroken device from someone who isn’t Apple?

Turns out you can. SquareTrade, the third-party warranty provider, is a company that has no problem replacing or fixing an iPhone, iPad, or really any smartphone whose software has been modified. The company’s new warranty policy, which starts at $60 for an iPhone, will fix or replace a device regardless of what’s been done to the software.

The technical expertise necessary to jailbreak an iPhone is itself a natural limiter of how many devices are jailbroken. But the warranty threat was another big deterrent. SquareTrade’s new offer does change the risk factor involved.

Apple’s attitude toward jailbreaking is laid out in a Knowledge Base article posted to its site:

Apple strongly cautions against installing any software that hacks the iOS. It is also important to note that unauthorized modification of the iOS is a violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorized software.

From Apple’s perspective, the reasoning is related to the company’s goal of ensuring a uniform user experience. The entire philosophy behind the App Store — besides Apple getting a cut of every paid app that goes on a device and generally controlling all aspects of the device — is that Apple employees vet the apps for buggy code and security problems. Loading software onto an iOS device that hasn’t been vetted in theory could create a user experience with which Apple doesn’t want to be associated.

SquareTrade’s VP of Strategy Vince Tseng told me it makes no difference to SquareTrade what users do with the software.  “We are here to help the Apple community, and if they want something Apple doesn’t provide we are here for them,” he said.

The warranty policy covers any software modification, but hardware mods are off limits. “Our general philosophy is that if a device hasn’t been played around with on the inside we don’t have a problem with that,” said Tseng.

Included in the company’s definition of hardware modifications? Filed-off serial numbers, meaning that SquareTrade is (wisely) shying away from offering warranties for potentially stolen devices.

Tseng acknowledges this policy isn’t targeting a huge group — jailbreakers aren’t a very large segment of the Apple community, he says —  but those that do modify their iOS software are an important demographic when it comes to the future of the platform, believes.

“Is it the majority of iPhone owners? It’s not. But they are the community that is out there expanding the possibility of what the iPhone can do,” said Tseng. “Apple has already had a touchy relationship with those kinds of people. Unofficially, they get some benefit out of it, but at an official level they want nothing to do with people modifying their devices.”

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The influx of cash is meant to “position the company to drive the next phase of growth in the consumer warranty market,” according to a press release. This may mean that SquareTrade will look to expand its warranty offerings beyond the consumer electronics space, but further product development plans and financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.

SquareTrade was founded in 1999, but it seems that it has really started to gain traction in recent months. According to the company, sales tripled year-over-year in 2011, and SquareTrade says it expects to triple revenue once again in 2012.

It makes sense that SquareTrade would do well selling warranties for gadgets, as consumer electronics sales are heartily outpacing the growth of the larger economy: Consumer electronics sales surpassed $190 billion in overall shipment revenues in 2011, an increase of 5.6 percent over 2010, according to recent data from the Consumer Electronics Association. That’s more than double the projected United States GDP 2011 growth rate of 2.4 percent. With our appetite for gadgets not showing any signs of slowing down, Bain Capital seems to think that the opportunity to insure those devices is very large indeed.

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1. Take a picture of your products and serial numbers

Whether you want to inventory your items or need a handy reference when there’s a problem, taking a picture of the product as well as its serial number means you won’t be in the awkward position of trying to talk on the phone while on the floor with a flashlight trying to read those teeny tiny numbers.

Plus, if you should have a theft or disaster, having a visual record of your items makes it easier for your insurance company to settle your claim.

2. Schedule your items with insurance

Speaking of insurance, I suggest contacting your homeowners, renters, or business insurance provider to see about separate insurance for your most expensive technology items. While insurance providers and policies vary, typically scheduling an item provides it extra protection and covers it separate from your regular deductible. If your computer is scheduled, many times it will even cover data recovery should your computer be dropped or damaged.

3. Track key information in your Address Book and iCal

If only you’d contacted tech support before the warranty expired, the broken gadget would have been repaired at no charge! There’s an easy way to make sure you have all your info on hand when you need it.

As you take pictures of your items in step 1, put the serial number and warranty expiration date in your Address Book along with tech support’s phone number (create custom fields for Serial Number and Tech Support if you wish). Attach the picture of the item to the address book entry.

Then put the warranty expiration in your iCal Now you’ve got all the info you need in one place and won’t miss that warranty expiration date.

A bonus outcome of this tip is that if you are at the electronics store and you have questions about compatibility or which model you own, the information will be handy so long as you sync your address book info manually or through iCloud.

While these tips won’t prevent problems from occurring, they’ll help protect you from further cost and inconvenience when they do.

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The BBC reports that in Italy consumers are guaranteed two years of warranty protection for all purchased products, but Apple had guaranteed only one year of warranty support — equal to what it offers here in the U.S. and in other countries. Instead of recognizing the second year of free warranty support, Apple was reportedly telling Italian customers to purchase AppleCare to cover any warranty claims after the first year.

The Antitrust Authority said Apple was misleading Italian consumers about what their rights were, which would ”induce consumers to sign an additional contract.” As a result, Apple was fined €400,000 for not explaining the two-year warranty guarantee to consumers at the time of the sale or on its website, and the additional €500,000 fine was levied for offering AppleCare without a complete explanation of consumers’ rights. Apple has also been given 90 days to update its Italian website with information about the two-year guarantee.

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If you purchase the plan, you’ll be covered for up to two incidents of accidental destruction of your device — i.e. dropping it down a bunch of stairs. Water damage is likely also covered under this plan. You’ll be liable for a $49 service fee to get the replacement devices, but at least you won’t have to fork over for a whole new iPhone.

AppleCare+ replaces the basic AppleCare package, which used to cost $69 but didn’t provide any coverage in case of accidental damage.

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1. Know the computer’s serial number

Apple products are hot on college campuses, and can easily get stolen. Once stolen, it’s hard to retrieve your serial number after the fact, and it’s one of the first things a police officer will ask about. To obtain this information, go to the Apple () menu in the upper left hand corner, choose “About This Mac” and then click twice on the OS Version and the serial number will appear. Both student and parent should keep a copy of this information.

2. Know the computer’s warranty expiration and make sure Apple’s info is correct

Most Apple products have a one year warranty, extended to three years by AppleCare. Generally if you purchase both the computer and AppleCare at the same time directly from Apple, your AppleCare will be registered. It’s important to know if it was registered properly and the expiration date is correct before a problem develops. Go to http://support.apple.com and then click “Check Your Service & Support Coverage” in order to find out when the warranty expires. If this information is incorrect, contact Apple to get it corrected. Typically you need to fax them the receipt if there’s a discrepancy.

3. Get AppleCare if you don’t already have it

AppleCare is really a great value, especially for college students. Not only does it cover hardware failures, but it also gives you three years of phone support. That support will come in handy when a paper is due and you can’t figure out how to get iWork to play ball.

If you didn’t purchase AppleCare when you purchased your Mac, you can purchase it at anytime during the initial one-year warranty period. AppleCare is highly discounted in the educational market, either directly from Apple or from campus bookstores.

4. Insure your Mac against loss

Even if your Mac isn’t stolen, an inebriated roommate, an out-of-hand party, or plain carelessness can result in a damaged Mac. The two most common problems I see are liquid spills and laptops being dropped. Neither of these are covered by Apple’s original or extended warranty.

Most homeowners or renter’s insurance companies will allow you to specifically “schedule” a student’s computer while at the dorm. Typically this costs just a few dollars a year and results in a lower deductible and protection against more perils. Before you have problems is the time to talk with your insurance agent about it.

5. Bring a pound of uncooked rice

No this isn’t for an emergency late night dinner; that’s what ramen is for. Liquid spills are common in college environments, and the best known remedy for that is a bag of uncooked rice. Not instant rice, but the inexpensive uncooked plain white rice. Should a spill occur, immediately cut power to the computer and remove the battery. If the battery can’t be removed, shut it down. Put the device in a sealed container (typically a trash bag) with that uncooked bag of rice and wait 48 hours before trying to turn it on. The device may be okay after that. Though I shouldn’t have to say it, it is advisable to throw away the rice when you’re through.

6. Time Machine is required, but is just a first step

College is a significant investment, and a late or missed assignment can be the difference between passing a class and failing. Time Machine is a quick and effective primary backup system that comes with every Mac running Leopard or above, and enabling it will help you prevent delays due to data corruption.

However it really isn’t enough — again, college have a way of attracting “accidents.” If the Time Machine drive is sitting next to the computer, it could get damaged or go missing along with the computer. Students who use portable computers may go days at a time without connecting to their Time Machine drives, too. For the average going rate of $50 a year, I highly recommend that you buy an online and offsite backup solution. Read my recent articles for recommendations.

7. Know where to take your Mac when problems arise

In those years at college, a computer problem is likely to develop that may or may not be covered by Apple’s warranty. Before a problem occurs, it’s good to know who to call for Mac help. The obvious choice might be a local Apple retail store, but that might be far away, and in college, time is of the essence. Many campuses have college bookstores that also provide Apple warranty service, but you need to ask first. Additionally, you can use Apple’s Authorized Service Provider locator to find the closest repair center. If you have a choice between more than one, it’s a good idea to get to know them. Just ask a few questions and find out their procedures and turn around time.

8. Bring all recovery media that came with the Mac (if applicable)

Although Lion has recovery over the Internet, older Macs still need those DVDs or flash drives in order to reinstall or repair the operating system. These are typically in the box that came with the Mac and are often overlooked. When you call for support, the friendly Apple support technician will be expecting these to be close at hand. This can avoid a trip to a service provider if the problem can be diagnosed or repaired with a restore or reinstall.

9. Turn off automatic software updates

Although it’s rare, a software update can introduce new problems to a system. A recent example are numerous problems that came with 10.6.8 — enough that Apple introduced 10.6.8 v1.1. Apple eventually fixes problems with later software updates, but running software update right before a paper is due is a bad idea. Better to plan updates right before a visit home or scheduled downtime. Be sure if you don’t already know your Administrator password, you find it out now. You’ll need that for troubleshooting and updates.

10. Have a spare power adapter

This tip is for laptop users. Inevitably in the hustle and bustle of going about your studies, a power adapter is going to be left in class, at home, or at the coffee shop. A nice $1,000 + laptop can be rendered completely useless by the lack of a simple power adapter. Having a spare one can give you time to get a new one or retrieve your old one. I generally recommend keeping one at your residence, plugged in, and one in your laptop bag. If you lose the laptop bag, you can always retrieve the one from your residence.

Those are ten handy tips to make sure that you and your child never have to tell the prof “the computer ate my homework.” Got any others to add to the list?

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The MacBooks displaying the problem are said by Apple to have shipped between October 2009 and April 2011, and the problem is described as “the rubber surface on some MacBooks [separating] from the bottom case of the system.” Customers who qualify (Apple will check your serial number to see if you’re in the affected crop) can get their bottom case replaced free of charge either at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Customers also have the option of ordering a replacement kit online, which includes a new bottom case, a Phillips head screwdriver, screws and instructions.

MacBook owners should not that Apple is also offering refunds for customers who’ve already paid for a repair due to the issue described above, and that anyone who thinks they’re eligible for getting some money back should contact Apple directly.

It’s not clear how widespread the problem is exactly. A search at the Apple Support Communities site turned up numerous threads related to the issue (at least six by my count), but it’s not a problem that has attracted the spotlight as much as the reported signal attenuation issues with the iPhone 4, for example. Apple says in its note that customers who aren’t seeing problems shouldn’t take any action, even if they purchased their MacBooks during this time, so it’s possible only a small subset of product was affected.

Anyone seeing their MacBook’s bottom rubber cover separating from the case?

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The tool Apple uses to determine whether or not a defective Nvidia GPU is responsible for your MacBook Pro’s problems might not be accurate in a number of cases, according to Mobile Magazine. Apple evaluates machines for the problem using a USB stick running Nvidia’s diagnostic software. Once the drive is inserted, it runs tests and provides printed reports on the nature of the problem. However, the test may not be returning accurate reports in every instance.

In some cases, according to Mobile Magazine, the faulty GPUs can overheat, leading to a short in your logic board when heat-transfer material ends up on parts of your computer’s internals where it shouldn’t be. That would lead to a diagnostic result indicating the logic board had failed, not the GPU. Logic board failures entail a non-warranty repair that can cost more than $1,000.

Mobile Magazine describes one specific case in detail where this occurred, but a call to Hi-Tech Electronics, the shop which performed the diagnostic and repair in question (it replaced the faulty GPU and cleaned the logic board for $260 including shipping, instead of the $1,000 Apple was asking) confirmed it has seen many similar cases, and continues to repair multiple MacBook Pros with problems stemming from the same issue each week.

Apple couldn’t be reached for comment as of this writing. If these reports are accurate, a simple fix would be to open up and inspect the internals of any MacBook Pros potentially affected by faulty Nvidia GPUs, rather than simply performing a software diagnostic test using a USB drive. It would be more costly and time-consuming, but also probably better for customer loyalty in the long run.

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