ThinkSecret Cash Settlement?

[Counter]

I would have guessed the settlement was to make things go away with some kind of closure. I would think that the symbology of the website shutting down would be sufficient to satisfy Apple. The lawyers for TS would still want to get paid (I don't believe all of it was pro bono). I suspect Apple would be fine with picking up the tab. TS's legal fees is probably less than 1 commercial run at the SuperBowl. Maybe we can blame TS if we don't see an Apple commercial this year!

From TS's standpoint, they are happy to get out the legal fees and like someone said before, TS was dead for some time now. The "journalists" will likely pop up again as some other rumor website, hopefully a little wiser.

TS will have got a good deal more than their legal fees paid. They wouldn't have lost the legal battle, they were breaking no laws, so they would have ultimately been covered anyway. This was a cash/stock deal to close ThinkSecret. Apple nor TS are going to say that though but it's the only plausible explanation. If the deal was something different it no doubt could have been told to the public.

 

[trevelyn]

I wonder!

I am curious if in addition to money, he got some apple hardware out of the deal, too.

 

[Call42350]

TS will have got a good deal more than their legal fees paid. They wouldn't have lost the legal battle, they were breaking no laws, so they would have ultimately been covered anyway. This was a cash/stock deal to close ThinkSecret. Apple nor TS are going to say that though but it's the only plausible explanation. If the deal was something different it no doubt could have been told to the public.

This is total crud. If Apple didn't stand a chance and would surely loose the case, they would just let it dwindle over time into insignificance, NOT settle and stir stuff up again in the media. There was no reverse lawsuit was there? Besides, the case was about coercion of employees to break NDAs, not about 1st Amendment, right?

I have to agree with FakeWoz that it seemed to be a pain in the rear for Apple to keep the lawsuit on the books. They'd want some kind of closure. Basically Ciarelli got money to pay off mounting legal fees and in return retires the site. He's one lucky guy to get off that easy IMO.

If Apple wanted to agonize Ciarelli further, they could let the suite dwindle on and Ciarelli's lawyers would push for payment long before the suite was resolved.

 

[law guy]

It's been mentioned here and there, but those posts over on the Secret Diary of Steve Jobs site - http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/ - chronically issues with Apple over the past few weeks are distressing. What is going on with Apple?

If you guys haven't done so, check out the link and read the last few entries on the topic (scroll down the page and you'll see them most recent first, going back in time down the page).

 

[Counter]

This is total crud. If Apple didn't stand a chance and would surely loose the case, they would just let it dwindle over time into insignificance, NOT settle and stir stuff up again in the media.

Uhhh?

That's the first I have heard of the new awesome way to win court cases. Just let it dwindle over time into the waiting lawless land that is insignificance! Man, there's so many companies who could use your law expertise right now!

I have to agree with FakeWoz that it seemed to be a pain in the rear for Apple to keep the lawsuit on the books. They'd want some kind of closure. Basically Ciarelli got money to pay off mounting legal fees and in return retires the site. He's one lucky guy to get off that easy IMO.

'If Apple didn't stand a chance and would surely loose the case, they would just let it dwindle over time'

Wouldn't that be a 'pain in the rear for Apple to keep the lawsuit on the books'?

Closure! What a great idea!

If Apple wanted to agonize Ciarelli further, they could let the suite dwindle on and Ciarelli's lawyers would push for payment long before the suite was resolved.

Yes, that would agonize Ciarelli further, and wouldn't be a 'pain in the rear for Apple' all of a sudden because it's a different paragraph.

 

[estrand03]

Think Secret 2?

What do you think about putting up a ThinkSecret2.com ?

 

[DiamondMac]

If Apple didn't stand a chance and would surely loose the case, they would just let it dwindle over time into insignificance, NOT settle and stir stuff up again in the media.

Many, and I mean many, companies know their chances of winning/losing a lawsuit before it even starts yet still choose to end it right away due to publicity, time, and other factors of dragging it on.

This seems like a pretty straight-forward settlement where Apple was unsure of their chances (or hell, maybe they felt good or bad) yet wanted to end it right now instead of waiting months longer.

People are greatly over-thinking this issue on why, how, or whatever else people are coming up with

 

[tveric]

This is total crud. If Apple didn't stand a chance and would surely loose the case,

Yeah, trust legal advice from anyone that spells "lose" wrong.

By the way, he didn't have to pay lawyers, the EFF backed him and provided his legal help.

"Apple was faced with losing the case and having to pay attorney's fees," explained EFF spokesperson Kurt Opsahl, which is likely part of the reason why it decided to settle instead of continuing to pursue it. As for Ciarelli, "We understand that Nick is very satisfied with the outcome of the case," Opsahl said. "We hope that Apple learns a lesson over this."

Would you take a profitable website that you had worked on for 8 or 9 years and shut it down when you knew Apple had no case? Well, maybe YOU would. But someone as smart as Nick Ciarelli wouldn't. Apple would have had to pay attorney's fees anyway once they lost. They decided to cut their losses and at least get one concession - a shutdown of the website, which they could not have made happen without a payoff of many thousands of dollars. And good for Nick. I hope he didn't take less than $100,000.