ThinkSecret getting sued again

Just curious about what you guys think about Apple suing the rumor-bringers... sorta not a cool way to show your support for your "fans", eh?
 
Apple is probably trying to find out who, inside Apple is leaking information.
 
Yeah, if somebody has to hide their identity, it's probably not ethical. I've always viewed rumor sites with suspicion in this regard.
 
if someone on the "inside" at apple is leaking
information, then apple is right to file suit - but sueing someone for making a lucky guess about a new product is a bit reactionary.
 
It'll be interesting to see what the courts decide here. On one hand, you have the whole "freedom of speech" thing (but certain laws do supercede that one in certain cases), and if ThinkSecret learned of it second-hand, it seems legal to be able to publish it.

But then on the other hand, I'm sure Apple's NDA covers what happens if information is leaked. I mean, what happens if someone under an NDA pokes his head out the front door and yells the protected information to all the passers-by? Does Apple just hang their head and say, "Aw, crap. Cat's outta the bag..." or do they have the right to stop protected information from spreading farther by stifling those passer's-by mouths? If they resist, does Apple have any business sueing them?

Lucky guess... perhaps, but how many of those have we ever seen? And how lucky would you have to be to "guess" something like this if the specs are proven accurate?
 
I think Apple only has grounds to sue if Think Secret was under an NDA. If not, if they merely received information from someone who hated their job at Apple, then Apple has no grounds to sue Think Secret and can only take action against their disgruntled employee. At least that's the way I see it.
 
Arden said:
I think Apple only has grounds to sue if Think Secret was under an NDA. If not, if they merely received information from someone who hated their job at Apple, then Apple has no grounds to sue Think Secret and can only take action against their disgruntled employee. At least that's the way I see it.
Click to expand...

Your extensive study of american law has led you to this conclusion? Or is this 100% useless conjecture?
 
I think I read it somewhere... ;)

But nonetheless, where does it state that Think Secret is barred from reprinting any information they receive, whether the informer is under NDA or not? Think Secret isn't under any agreements, therefore they can publish whatever they want.
 
I always thought the role of the press was to wed out information that was not previously available to the public? Maybe the guy who actually leaked the info might possibly deserve some kind of reaction for Apple. Not ThinkSecret though. They just published what they were told. I suppose if the details they published were innacurate then Apple may have some sort of case there.
 
Legally, they *could* try and nail them on quite a few vague laws. Everything from Ethics to Journalism to Privacy to possibly Libel. There's tons of laws and case law out there they could draw upon.

Will they win? Questionable, given the facts we know right now. I'd say it's a 50/50 shot, as we just don't know enough about the situation and all the related stuff.

In reality, they're probably more intrested in scaring Think Secret to assist them in weeding out the culprit and keeping TS from posting anything else.
 
Those sites like Think Secret,are we supposed to attach as much credence to their writing as say the Washington Post or LA Time?.:confused: I've never been one to subscribe to "rumor sites". I view most of them like the National Enquirer or any other tabloid nuisance paper.
 
From what I can see Apple is not suing ThinkSecret for violating an NDA. There is no evidence to support the maintainer of ThinkSecret ever signed or agreed in principal to (i.e. "click through") an NDA and therefore can not be bound to it.

Apple is suing ThinkSecret for tortious interference. In short ThinkSecret is encouraging and persuading others to break the NDA they have signed with Apple to the detriment of Apple's business. Apple may also be suing for Trade Secret violations due to the specificity of information on upcoming products, but short of seeing the complaint that is just a guess. It is one thing to request rumours and sift through them for trends or reliability. It is another to encourage individuals to violate a legally binding agreement to get it.
 
Unlikely Apple could win a suit like this, just reading the info available. Think Secret is under no obligation to Apple. Freedom of the Press in the US is very strong. Apple would have to prove that what Think Secret printed was malicious, or cause serious harm to their business, which I doubt either occured. I think Apple is trying to force Think Secret to reveal their source so they can take action against that person. They do seem to get info out of Apple.
 
Phil Schiller said something to me about people trying to get people at Apple to break NDA's, so I think Mephisto's post is right-on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top