These Batteries are HOT!

Once again, counterfeit laptop batteries are making news. This week, IBM filed a lawsuit against an online retailer, ShenTech, that sells replacement laptop batteries over the Internet, claiming that the batteries are knockoffs that have a tendency to catch fire. Our review of the site found some batteries claiming to be Lenovo (which purchased IBM's laptop business in 2005), and others being "Replacement" IBM. IBM says it did a sample purchase of 12 batteries from the site, and claims they are all fake. It was following up on an instance of a customer's laptop battery overheating.

Elsewhere on the ShenTech site, one can purchase an iPod Nano alike MP3 player ... that looks a lot like an iPod Nano ... but of course isn't.

In the past, IBM has recalled batteries in the past for overheating. In 2005, for instance, there were four notebook battery recalls--from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Apple, and Battery-Biz. These weren't necessarily counterfeit - only incorrectly manufactured.