I won't fix your computer since you download from the internet.

IANAL. File in small claims court. Ignore their ridiculous arguments about "accessory to copyright infringement."

Yeah, I'm not sure how they could even actually prove you had pirated software. Did they take video of themselves going through your folders (showing app About screens that screamed "Cracked by the Black Bag!")? Did they print up some application list that included your Mac's identification info and the apps were titled something like "Totally KRACKED version of Photoshop!"? Did they clone you hard drive? And honestly, how is this not a blatant case of blackmail? Please report back whatever you decide to end up doing. If you talk to a lawyer, I'd love to hear what she has to say. And it goes without saying to hold on to any emails/voicemails these weasels have sent your way.

I'm a repair tech. The first order of business when I touch *anything* related to your hard drive is that it gets imaged. I don't look at the image, and it gets dumped into an encrypted container right away, but I also tell you this and make you sign paperwork before I do it. If I'm "fixing" the drive and also a software issue (virus, etc.), then that gets done after the image is dropped back on the new drive. I also make clients sign a waiver that I won't look at any data, but that if I inadvertently find CP/etc, then I will report them. I explicitly exclude normal pics/movies/music from that reporting as I have no way to know what your license status is (nor do I care.) My agreement was drawn up by lawyers in my state, who could find no reference to any way that I could actually be in trouble by-proxy for what they had on their computers, but for me it's just a moral issue. That is---I care about CP (again, I don't look) and I don't care about piracy. I would suspect your challenge is going to be proving they broke it (tell me you have a voicemail or something where they admit it), the piracy threat is empty. In fact, I suspect they probably use multiple pieces of pirated software in their own shop. Not entirely your fault, but this is one reason why more people should be more concerned with their privacy as it pertains to computer repair. If I've got your hard drive, I've got *everything.* Make me assume some liability for that.

And also dg is correct, pulling a drive from an energized system? These guys are n00bs and like most n00bs who think they're awesome, he's made up something he thinks is illegal and is threatening you with it.

IANAL and I have no idea how much legal damage they could do to you with an allegation like that. They sound like they were perfectly happy to work on your computer until the point that they had to pay for a new screen and now they are looking for excuses to avoid paying for the damage they caused. I assume they didn't bring up any alleged copyright infringement during the hard drive replacement phase (when it was even vaguely relevant)? This sounds like a really shady shop. I would call their bluff and not only file in small claims court but make sure that Yelp, BBB, etc. knew about their refusal to fix damage within a reasonable amount of time. As a prospective customer, seeing a review like this would guarantee that I take my business elsewhere. A competent business owner will hopefully recognize that fact and make good on this, with haste. Note that a possible Internet smear campaign, however truthful your allegations may be, might be problematic for a small claims case, so you might inform the owner that you will not be able to favorably review his business upon completion of the small claims case, if he cannot make fair retribution for the damage. I suspect he may come around...

If they're an Apple-licensed repair shop, report them to Apple too. The piracy reporting sounds like an empty threat, and it also sounds almost like blackmail. But then, I'm not a lawyer and I could be totally wrong. If you're really concerned about it, get some real legal advice... it may be that a firmly worded letter from a lawyer will make this whole problem disappear without even going to court.

Yes, report them to Apple. --- First off, your laptop may or may not be a working external drive - hook it up to an external monitor , another computer, or another laptop and attempt to access the drive. Does it work? OK. So that is the short-term sorted. BACK UP YOUR DATA. --- Do you have pirated software? Can they even tell?? I, too, think this claim is bogus, even if you do have pirated software. Talk to people who would know the answer about if they can tell or not, but I'm pretty sure they are completely bluffing. Find out your rights and culpability, and make a choice. If I were you, I'd go to small claims. I have lots to add about on the reasons why you should roll the dice here, even if you do have pirated software, but writing on all that is probs against Mefi rules. ---- If you want the laptop to work totally, now, you could also buy a new laptop lid/screen (same thing) and self-install or pay some else to do it. Save receipts, bring them to court. ---- These guys are fucking with you. Even if you decide to move on and pursue this in court, still report them to Apple, YELP, and wherever else you can register a complaint. Even the Better Business Bureau. Good luck.

OH YEAH! In the meantime, bluff like you don't have pirated software (if you do.) Just by-pass their threat entirely, in writing and in any verbal contact (ignore it, just answer direct questions with, "You broke my screen, when are you going to fix it?") and keep demanding (you want a paper trail, emails and such) that you want them to fix the damage you witnessed. Period. Stick to your issue, ignore theirs (the blackmail.)

Hello, I am not a lawyer. The situation you have described is outrageous and this company's behavior is unconscionable. I cannot imagine working for a company that behaved like this. Installing a hard drive in an iMac while it's plugged into an outlet is an insane level of incompetence. It's like replacing a head gasket while the car's still running. If I saw somebody doing that on a customer's machine, they'd never work on another computer again for as long as I had anything to say about it. "Cosmetic" damage would refer only to damage that did not hinder the normal operation of your computer. If a "technician" dropped a hard drive on your LCD panel and now the pixels don't illuminate, that's not cosmetic damage, that's just damage. It is inconceivable that they would be legally liable for the provenance of software that was already installed on your hard drive when you brought it in, unless they were somehow complicit in actually installing it. If there were any question of liability in this sort of situation then no computer repair shop or data recovery specialist anywhere would ever risk backing up a hard drive. What you're describing is a company extremely ham-handedly trying to turn the situation around on you, to bully you into dropping the issue. Is this company explicitly an Apple-Authorized Service Provider (AASP)? If you're not sure, can you tell us who it is, or message their name to me privately so I can look into it? If you're not comfortable doing that you could use the http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/service/ on Apple's site to search for them and see if they turn up. An AASP is bound by both http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/ and http://www.apple.com/privacy/. Explicitly; AASPs must respect all customer data, and handle it in accordance with Apple’s Privacy Policy, and special care must be taken to ensure that customer data is not disclosed to any third party. I've just finished speaking with someone at Apple about your best path of escalation if you feel they are in violation of these terms, and there is no specific method for reporting this sort of thing. He advises the best contact you can use to discuss it with Apple is AppleCare, at 800-275-2273. Now, on the other hand, if they are not an AASP then they are not bound by any agreement with Apple. But they are, of course, bound by state and federal law, modulo whatever enforceable paperwork you signed when you checked your machine in with them. This is an area which, of course, a lawyer would be best-suited to advise you. If you need a quote for a replacement display panel for your iMac from a reputable AASP, please feel free to send your serial number to me and I will get you an exact quote. Cheers, and good luck.