One of the largest electronics parts makers in China by the name of Pisen has filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc, claiming that a mandatory certification program from the Cupertino, California-based technology giant is a form of "unfair competition" in the data cable market. Either the publication got the amount that they're suing Apple for wrong or the company is suing Apple to make their grievance public in a way that legally protects them against a libel lawsuit. It may also be considered a nuisance lawsuit.

The Chinese report states that "The Shenzhen firm is demanding that Apple stop its "unfair" trade practices and is seeking 1 yuan as nominal compensation for economic losses." 1 yuan is 15 cents. So what is the point that Pisen is trying to make public?

According to the South China Post, "Pisen, known for its tech product accessories such as data cables, power plugs and power banks, said on its official Weibo account that the Beijing Intellectual Property Court has already accepted their lawsuit.

Pisen said Apple's MFi mandatory certification does not make products safer, but it has damaged fair competition in China's electronic components market, according to a statement.

Apple's MFi program, short for "made for iPod/iPhone/iPad,' is a profitable business for the US tech giant which charges high fees to certify that third party electronic accessories will work with its products.

Damages to Apple products arising from the use of uncertified cables are not covered by the US company's after-sale policies.

In its filing to the court, Pisen said Apple has repeatedly filed complaints to e-commerce platforms in China claiming that Pisen infringed Apple design patents obtained in Europe, which resulted in the removal of Pisen products from these platforms.

Apple has rejected Pisen's application for MFi certification "many times" without providing reasons, according to Pisen, which claims that Apple is utilising its dominant position in the market to disrupt fair competition.

Pisen, reportedly the second-largest data cable maker in China, is a popular brand on the mainland because of its low price compared with certified products sold via Apple's official channels. For more on this read the full report here.

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