When he tried to sell it, thus trying to profit from Apple's name, that is when the Apple legal department stepped in. Mr. Traya even admitted to such actions. The famous, or infamous, ROM block. Nobody knows why Apple did this. Nobody knows if it was deliberate or not.
Nobody knows anything.
Everybody complained without knowing a damn thing. Let it drop until more info is out. And remember this is the same company that makes computers that are useful and upgradeable 5 years after they are sold. Intel simply changes the hardware every 2 years. Be happy and grateful you are dealing with Apple instead.