ThinkSecret Cash Settlement?

[MacRumors]

The L.A. Times cites sources in-the-know that claim that ThinkSecret's Nick Ciarelli did indeed receive some amount of monetary compensation from Apple as part of their final settlement.

[Ciarelli] also received a payment from Apple, according to a person familiar with the case. Both sides declined to discuss details of the agreement.

There has been a tremendous amount of speculation that this may have been the case, but no real confirmation.

ThinkSecret issued a statement late last week that they had reached an amicable settlement with Apple over an almost 3 year old lawsuit accusing ThinkSecret of illegally obtaining and disseminating Apple trade secrets.. The only details of the settlement revealed were that ThinkSecret would not reveal their sources, and would no longer be published. Later comments from Ciarelli's lawyer suggested that Apple settled to avoid potentially losing the case if it were pursued. Apple, however, has made no public comments settlement.

Article Link

 

[MacNut]

Does anyone know how much money? Stock options maybe.

 

[zap2]

Duhhhh!!!

This is the only way that shutting the site down would have been a "win"

Interested in how much though...although I'd bet Apple made he promise not to tell(or he's lose the $$)

 

[gugy]

what's the big deal about this.
lack of any news is a bad thing.
Let's move on. TS was dead long time ago anyway. So it doesn't matter.

Update the damn MacPro at MWSF!

 

[synth3tik]

You know a confidentiality claus is tied to every single one of those dollars.

 

[JPT]

what's the big deal about this.
lack of any news is a bad thing.
Let's move on. TS was dead long time ago anyway. So it doesn't matter.

Update the damn MacPro at MWSF!

Nope sorry, the Mac Pro Update funds were given to Nick. So no updates for another year

 

[DiamondMac]

Not a shocker. This is how a high majority of cases like this get dealt with.

I don't blame the guy either though I can see a lot don't understand why he did it. Money talks and it is very easy for many to say they would/wouldn't do something when the actual money isn't there

 

[ventro]

I'm guessing around $1M. We might be able to find out when Apple posts their financials and we can dig through their expenditures.

 

[4God]

what's the big deal about this.
lack of any news is a bad thing.
Let's move on. TS was dead long time ago anyway. So it doesn't matter.

Update the damn MacPro at MWSF!

I'm actually a little indifferent about the whole ThinkSecret thing, but wouldn't it be a great Christmas present to have MacPros released on Tuesday the 25th?

 

[notjustjay]

Let the man have his space. If he got money, good for him. If not, oh well.

Slow news day? Really, I think this one's been laid to rest already.

 

[33scottie33]

Maybe he just settled for a new UP MacBook Pro!

 

[twoodcc]

i'm sure he did receive money.

 

[andy721]

hah

I'm actually a little indifferent about the whole ThinkSecret thing, but wouldn't it be a great Christmas present to have MacPros released on Tuesday the 25th?

Im with you on this one, I been wanting a new comp but god for bid if steve doesn't release the macpro before christmas has to be in jan 2000 of 8 which sucks because that means I have to wait. F**K!

 

[JNB]

I'm guessing around $1M. We might be able to find out when Apple posts their financials and we can dig through their expenditures.

You've never read the annual, have you?

 

[sord]

<sarcasm>Oh well, no one needs TS, we all know there will be new Powerbook G5s on Tuesday (Christmas day)!</sarcasm> (which would be so absurd if it actually happened, I can't even fathom the reactions

we'll miss ya TS!

 

[timdorr]

A rumor about a rumor site. The mind boggles!

 

[Sayer]

I would imagine Apple merely paid some "fair" amount of future earnings Nick would have received had he kept his web site in operation.

I am mystified why Apple would choose to settle when Nick wasn't accused of merely publishing "trade secrets" someone gave him, he was charged with coercing someone at Apple to violate their NDA/employment contract and give all manner of info to Nick to publish on his website.

Nick always seemed to get "hooked up" with the latest seeds of OS X and other apps, and some hardware info, so someone in the range of middle-management must have gotten a thrill in spilling the beans for so long and never getting caught.

The real winner in all this mess is the leaker(s) at Apple that was, apparently, never found out.

 

[jwkicks]

I'm sure tight non-disclosure statements were signed. We'll probably never find out.

 

[MacFly123]

WHOOOOOOOO CAAAAAAAARES!!!!!!!!!! No **** he got money! Duh! Now for some REAL news please!!!!!!!

 

[GoodWatch]

I care. Even Apple are using the tactics that belong to major corporations now. Pay shut-up money if someone gets to big of a pain in the, ehhh, behind.

 

[mad jew]

...But Apple is a major corporation.

 

[GoodWatch]

...But Apple is a major corporation.

You've got that right! That's exactly my point. Think Different? I think not

 

[Stridder44]

You've got that right! That's exactly my point. Think Different? I think not

If they guy didn't wanna do it he wouldn't have taken the money. Just because a apple rumors site went down doesn't mean apple rumors is ending as we know it. Torrent sites go down all the time, and new ones start up the same day.

There are a lot of people out there that are interested in apple rumors. The "leaked info from someone close to apple" isn't gonna disappear anytime soon.

 

[GoodWatch]

If they guy didn't wanna do it he wouldn't have taken the money.

Do you want a million dollar?

 

[xappeal]

Funny, I bet Apple are happy that all their money is linked to the guy from Think Secret actually keeping a secret!

Sweet payback... It'd be killing him if he wasn't swimming in a pool of $100 notes...