Apple has the serial number from the original sale and can confirm he is the guy who bought it...
For instance, I've given family my old laptops, and they setup their accounts after they take ownership of the device. The way I interpret your comment with regards to my scenario is that Apple should disregard the fact it is locked to their iCloud account and unlock it for me, because I can prove I was the original purchaser - even if they accidentally left it at my home or I steal it from their home.
Is that what you meant, that if I can give Apple a receipt then I am the de facto owner no matter what? Or am I just way off base?
No way would they unlock a device like this for your relative. It's odd that they won't unlock it even for the original owner. In what cases do they even plan to unlock these devices?
On the contrary, they even have a page explaining how to prepare the device for ownership transfer: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201065
How would or could they? Apple devices have the biggest second-hand market.
I guess I'm surprised they don't! As the other commenter points out they have a page dedicated to this. I conflated their stance on secondary sales with their hardware and software self-service hostility.
Right of first sale applies here.
That's currently how it works. Except for OP of course.
I personally think that a better tactic would be to create a separate device that is paired to the machine, comes in the box, and can bypass activation lock. This would layer nicely on top of the existing system without forcing rigorous document management and an appeal to an opaque system of power to exercise true ownership over your own computer.
For more background on this, the fact that you actually have the laptop in your possession is the key point:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possession_is_nine-tenths_of...
All I know for sure is I can say I'm glad I'm not a lawyer!
If for instance the device had been sold to a different owner, that owner should have the receipt and be contactable (they have the email address and probably other info). And if the owner declared theft, we're out of Apple's field and it should be an official claim.
I see the passing down to a family member situation in the same light: if it was an informal transaction, the official owner is a still the same, and getting back the device unbricked and wiped out shouldn't be an ethical connundrum.
The thing that gives me the most pause is that Apple keeping a hard line on refusing to unbrick the device means they get an additional purchase from someone who's already heavily invested in the ecosystem. From their POV, bricking more devices has no counter incentives.
If you sell your devices, create a receipt. This way the legitimate owner can prove that they own the device now.
It's that simple.
Fact is, he let someone else take control of the machine.
Apple really should explain this to people. It is a scenario nobody wants to be in.
Many Apple products are bought from third party resellers who don't capture this information.