How’s this for biting the hand that creates the buzz: Apple are suing Apple-buzz weblog Think Secret for releasing information in November and December of 2004 that could only have been obtained by someone who had signed a confidentiality agreement with Apple. Shock Horror.
The site has made it’s name out of providing exclusive news about Apple’s products and therefore helping create the buzz around them. Now the big bad Apple bites back with a law suit about something someone told them and they published!
"We’re confident that Think Secret’s reporting is consistent with the right and privileges granted by the First Amendment," the sites editor, Nick dePlume wrote to Reuters.
We’re all hoping that the rotters change their mind about pursuing this. What a bunch of morons – and more importantly – what a challenge to bloggers rights.
Reuters Article
Think Secret
PSFK Post On The Apple iPhone
Weblogs Inc Founder’s Letter To Apple
Other Blogs Writing ABout This Story
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Whether Apple have the legal right or not – maybe Apple should spend all it’s time targeting the employees who talk to these sites, not the sites who just repeat the whispers. If they close down Think Secret, how many more whisper sites will spring up to take its place…
January 9th, 2005 at 5:39 pm
Apple attacked over sources row
Apple is angry about alleged product leaks
Civil liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has joined a legal fight between three US online journalists and Apple.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4266909.stm
February 15th, 2005 at 9:41 am
Wow, that is really kind of shocking. I can’t see how they would win a lawsuit like that. (Not that they won’t anyway). Ultimately it is journalism and that is what journalists do right? Might be time to adopt a pen name and go under cover.
I’m totally with Piers ont this one. By this standard any news reporter could be sued for almost anything. Apple is really biting one of the hands that feeds them.
February 15th, 2005 at 6:44 pm