Barbaro and Rao assert that Apple must have known the keyboards were "defective" by the time they reached the public, since complaints started mounting soon after the original 12-inch MacBook launched in 2015. It also accuses Apple of suggesting "self-help remedies" (such as blasting the keyboard with compressed air) that it supposedly knows won't work, and noted that repairs haven't offered permanent solutions.

The lawsuit asks for both damages and refunds for anyone who has paid to replace their MacBook's keyboard.

We've asked Apple if it can comment on the lawsuit. However, the company filed for a patent on a dust-resistant butterfly switch keyboard back in 2016. It may have difficulty arguing that it was unaware of the issue until more recently, even if an immediate fix wasn't in sight.