A Apple and Colombian engineer Wilmer Becerra, specialized in repairing the brand’s devices, are fighting a turbulent dispute.
A controversy It began when Apple sent an extrajudicial notice to the engineer, requesting that he no longer display the company’s logo in his tutorial videos.
Understand the conflict between the parties
Since 2018, Becerra has shared his expertise in device repairs such as iPhones, iPads and iMacs. However, it was only this year that Apple decided to intervene.
The reason was not any infraction on the part of the engineer, but the fact that his videos had a boom of popularity.
At the time of notification, Becerra already stood out with an impressive 12 million followers spread across platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
In addition to being a digital influencer, Wilmer is also a businessman. It manages a broad technical assistance network that spans nine Latin American countries.
In response to the notification, Becerra’s defense invoked the “right to repair”, based on the right to property, free competition and, interestingly, environmental preservation.
The engineer claims that the practice of extending the life of devices through repairs is energetically more beneficial than Apple’s recycling approach.
Additionally, he took advantage of his growing popularity by launching a custom cover production service to help with legal costs.
Despite the dispute, Apple extended an invitation to Becerra to become one of its authorized partners. However, the engineer, firm in his principles, refused.
He claims that the policy of companywhich emphasizes replacement rather than repair of defective parts, limits repairers’ autonomy.
Regarding the Brazilian scenario, there is no specific legislation on the right to repair. Even so, Becerra maintains the consistency of his work, seeking parts for repairs from authorized establishments in the USA.
In fact, he has already released videos repairing the new iPhone. Check out:
The company Wiltech, founded by Becerra, already has a strong presence in several countries Latin Americans. However, in Brazil, there are still barriers to expansion, especially due to linguistic differences.
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