moved: What leak does this lawsuit relate to?
OK, well I don't post very often, but I just stumbled across something I found a bit interesting
Apple are bringing a court action in the UK in order to get evidence that they need in order to sue some people who have leaked photos of unreleased products. This case was heard on September 18th, this year. Here's the start of the report of the case:
"1. The claimant appellant, Apple Computers Incorporated, has commenced proceedings in the Superior Court for Santa Clara County, California, against 25 unknown persons, described as Doe. This proceeding is permissible in California, pending discovery of the identity of the alleged wrong doers. Once identity has been established, the claim will be amended.
2. Apple Computers Incorporated is a corporation created under the laws of the State of California and its principal state of business is Cupertino, California. Its business is the development, manufacture and sale of computers, together with related hardware, software and services. To its consternation, descriptions and photographs of products in development have been posted to pages on the worldwide web. The nature of the published material is such that the source must be an employee of the corporation. All employees have signed confidentiality agreements with the corporation."
Now they're trying to find out the information from a UK website, so my question is, what insider photos have recently appeared on a UK site? Is this just the photos of the MDD G4s, or is it something new that I've missed?
JP.
[ 12-16-2002: Message edited by: Jonathan ]</p>
Apple are bringing a court action in the UK in order to get evidence that they need in order to sue some people who have leaked photos of unreleased products. This case was heard on September 18th, this year. Here's the start of the report of the case:
"1. The claimant appellant, Apple Computers Incorporated, has commenced proceedings in the Superior Court for Santa Clara County, California, against 25 unknown persons, described as Doe. This proceeding is permissible in California, pending discovery of the identity of the alleged wrong doers. Once identity has been established, the claim will be amended.
2. Apple Computers Incorporated is a corporation created under the laws of the State of California and its principal state of business is Cupertino, California. Its business is the development, manufacture and sale of computers, together with related hardware, software and services. To its consternation, descriptions and photographs of products in development have been posted to pages on the worldwide web. The nature of the published material is such that the source must be an employee of the corporation. All employees have signed confidentiality agreements with the corporation."
Now they're trying to find out the information from a UK website, so my question is, what insider photos have recently appeared on a UK site? Is this just the photos of the MDD G4s, or is it something new that I've missed?
JP.
[ 12-16-2002: Message edited by: Jonathan ]</p>
Comments
- Being pissed at the Mirror Mac (aka wind tunnel) photo leaks.
- Sends a message to anyone/everyone not to screw with em.
Dave
Not to rain on your parade, but this doesn't seem like future hardware.
Apple has no case, but they have the ability to launch cases! Even if they can't win, they can cost you a ton of time and money, and scare you silly in the process. Only a very large press outlet can "publish" without blinking, but those guys are hardly interested in rumor and spy pics.
Now, for those that actually "leak" info/pics, they're up the creek so to speak, Apple can ream them with a splintered sanding block. Have contract, break contract, suffer dearly.
As a stock holder, I must ask the question,"Why are you wasting money pursuing these alleged criminals and investing these funds in processor and bus speed improvements?"
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Insincerely
rickag
<strong>Dear Apple
As a stock holder, I must ask the question,"Why are you wasting money pursuing these alleged criminals and investing these funds in processor and bus speed improvements?"
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Insincerely
rickag</strong><hr></blockquote>
I am no stockholder, but Apple is really not doing its image any good.
I agree with rickag: Apple should concentrate on its core business of making computers and not earn money from lawsuits
Internet publishers in the UK are also a little more vulnerable, they can be sued for defammation, if I remember rightly Demon were sued for a libellous posting on one of their messaged boards.
I guess it must be the MDD photos, I just thought that they were released on a French website.
JP.
Besides the legalities, there is the issue of goodwill. Apple gets more free press and internet exposure than any tech company I can think of. Part of the reason why Apple could get by for so long, while spending as little as they do on advertising, is that the mac community literally contributes millions of dollars worth of free publicity via the internet. Villianizing loyal elements of the community serves no constructive purpose, especially when that community is often more passionate about promoting Apple than Apple itself has often been.
While this suit seems to be about 25 potential NDA violators, pressure could fall on web hosters/sites/posters to give up what they know. Fine, but Apple has also been quite agressive when it comes to harrassing web sites (publishers) with the spectre of legal action. Not good. Pointless too, since Apple would not win any such case. Web forums are a little funny, though, since it is not known who is doing the publishing. Apple could argue that certain posters may be people (as they have sometimes been) under NDA, and because those people are under NDA, they have no right to publish pics in a forum. However, a web page itself publishing leaked pics, is really safe from conviction (they were never under NDA). The standard legal reaction seems to be to threaten everyone and hope the spectre of expensive law-suits keeps everyone obedient even those without any legal obligations to Apple.
You can see how every other manufacturer rips off Apple design after new products are released. Apple only have a limited amount of time to make money from the 'unique' designs they produce and they have to do all they can to protect this information.
How do you know that the information leaked was by some die hard Mac fan just trying to share his exciting knowledge with all the other Mac fans? It could just as easily be a dirty trick by a mole, to reduce the value of Apple stock or damage the company in some way.
<strong>I doubt that Apple is looking for any money out of this. More likely is they are trying to flush out employees or contractors/consultants who tend to leak information.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Agreed, therefore, pretty much a waste of time an effort. Also, most leaks that in any way could damage Apple are within weeks of release, negating any real damage anyway.
<strong>Apple are bringing a court action in the UK in order to get evidence that they need in order to sue some people who have leaked photos of unreleased products. This case was heard on September 18th, this year. Here's the start of the report of the case:
"1. The claimant appellant, Apple Computers Incorporated, has commenced proceedings in the Superior Court for Santa Clara County, California, against 25 unknown persons, described as Doe. This proceeding is permissible in California, pending discovery of the identity of the alleged wrong doers. Once identity has been established, the claim will be amended.
?
Now they're trying to find out the information from a UK website, so my question is, what insider photos have recently appeared on a UK site? Is this just the photos of the MDD G4s, or is it something new that I've missed?
JP.</strong><hr></blockquote>
This is a very old case which (as it seems) isn't over yet: Workerbee!!
<a href="http://www.macnn.com/feature.php?id=101"; target="_blank">http://www.macnn.com/feature.php?id=101</a>;
I think apple shoud put its money in building faster hardware and he!! if anything its like putting more money into Marketing which certainly couldn't hurt them.
<strong>
This is a very old case which (as it seems) isn't over yet: Workerbee!!
<a href="http://www.macnn.com/feature.php?id=101"; target="_blank">http://www.macnn.com/feature.php?id=101</a></strong><hr></blockquote>;
No... the WorkerBee lawsuit was settled.
This is a new lawsuit based on the leaked MDD Pictures.
arn
<strong>
No... the WorkerBee lawsuit was settled.
This is a new lawsuit based on the leaked MDD Pictures.
arn</strong><hr></blockquote>
And it's pure coincidence that 25 people are sued in both cases?
[ 12-10-2002: Message edited by: JLL ]</p>
<strong>
And it's pure coincidence that 25 people are sued in both cases?
[ 12-10-2002: Message edited by: JLL ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think it must be a coincidence, the case in the UK is about gaining evidence for a future case to be brought by Apple, and as I'm pretty sure they already got worker bee, it must be something to do with the MDD leaks, or possibly something else.
JP.
<strong>
I think it must be a coincidence, the case in the UK is about gaining evidence for a future case to be brought by Apple, and as I'm pretty sure they already got worker bee, it must be something to do with the MDD leaks, or possibly something else.
JP.</strong><hr></blockquote>
§1 could also just be referring to the Workerbee case since it's about the same subject: pictures of future motherboards.
<strong>
I am no stockholder, but Apple is really not doing its image any good.
I agree with rickag: Apple should concentrate on its core business of making computers and not earn money from lawsuits
I am not a stockholder either. But Apple have a right to take legal action, and I think they should to scare off other people from leaking images etc. These images should not be leaked. If you owned a Company and future products you were designing were leaked, I bet you would get annoyed after a while and think it necesery to take legal action!
[Thats from a Law students point of view and instinctivly (not that humans have instinct) I think "Litigate! Litigate" in this instance anyhow]
<strong>
...But Apple have a right to take legal action, and I think they should to scare off other people from leaking images etc.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't dispute Apple's legal right to sue. But, in most cases, such as the windtunnel rumors/leaks, they came so close to their actual introduction they had no(zip, nadda, none) effect on profits.
AND many, if not most people didn't even believe the leaks anyway.
Please, Apple, concentrate on what is affecting profits. Hardware, Software(cater to developers). Chasing ghosts is fruitless.
That said, if a leak is detrimental to Apple, be obliged to sue. But, the current biggest leak, the 970, may be having the greatest current effect on sales. And you have no recourse, so exactly how much harm are rumor sites.
And another thing, by not presenting a roadmap of any kind, speculation runs high.
Pretend Apple ISN"T going to use the 970, it's possible. By not having a roadmap, specifically denying future use of the 970, many customers(how many, don't know) are/will be waiting for the nonexistent introduction of a 970 based Apple computer. I know this argument has plenty of holes, but when you get right down to it, rumors ain't the main problem right now, are they?
[ 12-10-2002: Message edited by: rickag ]
[ 12-10-2002: Message edited by: rickag ]</p>