Apple's Beats Electronics division today lost a lawsuit levied against it by Steven Lamar, who had a hand in the development of the Beats brand.

According to Bloomberg, a jury today decided that Lamar is entitled to $25 million due to a disputed settlement in 2007 with Beats co-founders and Apple execs Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.

beatsstudiowireless
Lamar signed over the rights to the Beats design in exchange for royalties back in 2006. He claimed that under the terms of the settlement, he was owed royalties on all Beats models, while Dre and Iovine said he was entitled to royalties only on the original Studio model released in 2008, leading to a legal dispute.

The jury awarded Lamar royalties on all models of the Studio Beats headphones, but not on other models, an amount that could add up to a total of $40 million when interest and attorney fees are taken into account.

Lamar in 2006 claims to have shown a headphone design to Iovine, who recommended Dr. Dre as an endorser, creating the partnership that led to the creation of Beats Electronics. Lamar then helped to develop the Beats brand and the concept behind the headphones until he had a falling out with Iovine and Dre in 2006.

Apple purchased the Beats brand in 2014 for $3 billion, with Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre (otherwise known as Andre Young) joining Apple at that time. Since then, Apple has continued to sell products under the Beats label.

Tag: Beats

Top Rated Comments

Danoc Avatar
92 months ago
-
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
92 months ago
Good. Purchasing Beats has been the biggest mistake CEO Cook did during his mandate.
Objectively or subjectively? I'm guessing subjectively cuz objectively you'd be wrong.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
92 months ago
Good. I can't stand those two!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danoc Avatar
92 months ago
-
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lunarworks Avatar
92 months ago
$25M is reasonable, considering the price they paid for Beats.

Good. Purchasing Beats has been the biggest mistake CEO Cook did during his mandate.
lol, how? They got Apple Music out if it, which many people are satisfied with.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
92 months ago
Objectively. Apple and Beats have different demographics, different types of branding. Apple is a higher end, more thoughtful technology company. You don’t expect Burberry to merge with H&M.

I don’t care the earnings, nobody wants Apple to buy Coca Cola.

Apple didn’t need an audio company to do products. The AirPods are the best, small wireless headphones ever created, under Apple’s umbrella, under Apple’s branding. I expect the same thing next year with over ear noise cancelling headphones. Then Apple will retire Beats.
One of us doesn't seem to know what objective means, objectively speaking.:D Your analysis is entirely subjective and you double down on it by trying to dismiss the most objective criteria - the numbers. Even your subjective evaluation misses it's mark. Apple sold Beats in their stores and online well before they acquired the company so... yeah. That description of higher end and more thoughtful - even more subjective.

Here. Maybe this will help.:)
ob·jec·tive
əbˈjektiv/
adjective
[LIST=1]
* (of a person or their judgment) not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...