NEWS
B Y M AT T H E W D E N I S
EUGENE MAN
SUES INTEL
Computer buyer seeks class-action
status in suit over Meltdown and
Spectre flaws
Mann seeks a refund
or $200 in damages
from Intel ... protesting
that he would not have
purchased a computer
had he been aware of
the problem.
Eugene Weekly was unable to locate Mann.
beads
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statutory damage — protesting that he would not have pur-
chased a computer had he been aware of this problem.
His suit also seeks class action status for all Intel cus-
tomers similarly affected.
“I just want my client indemnified for his right to choose
the best product as a consumer,” Fuller says.
Mann’s case could be consolidated with a similar class
action suit filed in California.
Fuller is not looking for a coupon settlement.
“A coupon settlement offers consumers a small dis-
count on the next purchase from the defendant,” Fuller
says. “This is usually more lucrative for attorneys and es-
sentially forces plaintiffs to continue buying from defen-
dants. Mann, however, simply wants his ability to choose
whether or not to purchase Intel products reinstated.”
Fuller would not make Mann, about whom he would
provide no other information, available for comment, say-
ing an interview could affect the lawsuit.
or
hen Eugene’s Wyatt Mann bought a $2,000
Lenovo computer from Best Buy in early
December, he didn’t expect its Intel chip to
open the door to crime. After the holidays,
however, Intel revealed that a chip design
flaw may allow hackers to access his computer.
No evidence has emerged that cybercriminals have
exploited the widely publicized flaws, dubbed Meltdown
and Spectre, but consumers are nervous. A software fix
released in early January patches the vulnerability but re-
duces performance by up to 30 percent.
Mann hired Portland attorney Michael Fuller, who filed
a class action complaint in federal court in Eugene on Jan.
4 against Intel.
The suit claims that Intel Corp. knew about the defect
in November but did not tell consumers until January. Ac-
cording to media reports, a Google representative said Intel
knew of it in June. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich sold off a
large portion of his company stock in November, before
the flaw was made public, though Krzanich has claimed
this had nothing to do with defective chips.
Mann seeks a refund or $200 in damages from Intel
— the minimum amount in Oregon that can be filed for
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eugeneweekly.com • January 18, 2018
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