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Apple Lawyers Strike Back at Valleywag Over Tablet Bounty

ctdonath said:
Don't be so sure. A great flaw in our legal system is that there is so much verbiage, and limitations in that verbiage, that a great deal more is legal than most people realize. The contest makes clear that whatever is done be legal; if someone can find a legal way to enter, no problem.
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The problem is playing the moron in legal cases doesn't usually end well.

ctdonath said:
Example: someone has an iSlate prototype, sweet-talks Jobs into canceling his NDA, and gives it to Valleywag. $100,000 win. All legal. (Unlikely of course, but legally possible, hinging only on Steve's signature.)
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Or they could use an inverted phase modulator to reflect Jobs' reality distortion field to switch him with an alternate universe version of him that is more similar to Ballmer and then just say "BING" until he spills the beans.
 
The stupidity of ...

The stupidity and ignorance of ValleyWag is overwhelming ...
 
One of the things that I find most interesting about this letter is the mention of "trade secrets." Trade secrets are always kept internal to the company, and always are designed to make the company money, otherwise, why have them? An example of a trade secret is the formula to Coca Cola, or the sourcecode to Final Cut Pro.

Furthermore, let's assume that Apple announces this device at the end of the month. The only damages Apple could attest to would be the damage of the product being knowledge to the public for the extra less-than-2-weeks. I doubt these are significant damages to Apple as a corporate entity, but I could be wrong.

I think this letter is fake. If they are trade secrets, then why wouldn't the firm ask for immediate ending of the contest? Also, if there truly are high damages to Apple, they can be heard pretty immediately (the same day, for example) by a judge. They wouldn't futz around.
 
This is silly.

Anyone who is in a position to divulge anything would be breaking NDA so there isn't any 'legal' means of doing anything.

This is a criminal conspiracy.

this is just low-life paparazzi scum.
 
This sounds like those movies where the bad guys do something to see how fast the police get there, rather than to commit the actual crime. Looks like Apple are keeping very close tabs on all the buzz going round.
 
But it is fun non the less...

I loved the old iHome shots that were posted in response. It's really been a while since we were all captivated by a new Apple Product with leaks("") and hype like this.

Some of my most memorable
-G5 Spec leak
-iHome

It gives me something to look forward to that breaks up the mundane.

But I'm glad we apple heads can sit back and laugh and take some humor and joy out of this.

Now... Lets start talking about the next gen. Mac Pro please....
 
JNB said:
There's no confirmation of the existence of anything. Absolutely none. You could post a contest just like this one for photos of an "iToilet" and get the same cease-and-desist from Apple's lawyers. Gotta quit reading into things.

The point of the C&D is not whether such a thing exists, but that persons under an NDA are unlawfully being enticed, period.

FTR, I'm not arguing that there isn't a TabSlateBook, because I don't really give a rat's ass one way or the other.
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Someones grouchy! :p
 
So there is a tablet...if they'd have just ignored it, I would have thought there wasn't one. Apple pretty much confirmed its existence.
 
I don't see why anyone needs to be breaking the law to win the contest. Companies slip up and do stupid things all the time like have someone holding the tablet walk through a stairwell that has someone in it that snaps a picture type stuff. Apple isn't perfect and neither are the employees.
 
So basically there is no way for people to "stay within the bounds of the law", which makes it stupid to continue.
 
Legolover64 said:
Furthermore, let's assume that Apple announces this device at the end of the month. The only damages Apple could attest to would be the damage of the product being knowledge to the public for the extra less-than-2-weeks. I doubt these are significant damages to Apple as a corporate entity, but I could be wrong.
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1. Apple plans to introduce the tablet (if it exists, which we don't know :D ) in the best possible way. Whether that introduction is done in a good or a bad way makes an enormous difference to the reception of the product. Multi-million dollar damages if the effect of the perfect introduction is destroyed.

2. Let's assume Apple makes a billion dollar profit a year from the tablet, and let's assume Dell starts creating a competing product as soon as they see the tablet. And assume Dell's product is better and Apple doesn't sell one tablet once Dell's tablet is ready. Information coming out two weeks early means Dell starts two weeks earlier, releases their product two weeks earlier, and costs Apple two weeks of profit which would be 40 million dollars.
 
Ooh, ooh, we should have an opinion poll:). Uh, I think this is it:D. I love this forum. Its like watching the WWF, or whatever they call themselves now. Bring back Bruno Sammartino.
 
gnasher729 said:
...and let's assume Dell starts creating a competing product as soon as they see the tablet. And assume Dell's product is better and Apple doesn't sell one tablet once Dell's tablet is ready. Information coming out two weeks early means Dell starts two weeks earlier, releases their product two weeks earlier, and costs Apple two weeks of profit which would be 40 million dollars.
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Dell already showed their tablet. (Of course Dell released their netbooks in several sizes so just because they showed a 5 inch prototype at CES doesn't mean they don't have 7inch, 10 inch, or other size versions ready to go as well)

In fact just about everyone already showed a tablet. Lenovo's U1 is very cool combo netbook/slate.

Anyway, 2 weeks isn't going to make any difference whatsoever
 
Bevz said:
I think they've done what they set out to do... Confirmation by apple of the existence of a tablet. Job done :)
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Your right, job done. But I think valleywag is pushing it now. They need to post that retraction quickly!
 
...as well as any possible details about the product's appearance, features, and physical samples...
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Ah-hah, so there IS a product. ;) Not like we needed any confirmation, but thank you Apple for acknowledging it!

That said, I hope Valleywag doesn't do anything stupid. It seems they're on pretty thin ice here.
 
This really does not confirm anything. Though I do believe it exists (in some form). Only an actual law suit with evidence and the presentation of the device would make this thing real. Whats going on here is control.

Lets just say apple does not have a tablet, but someone releases pics that are really really good looking. Apple will take so much flack if nothing comes out on the 27th, and the stock price drops.

On the other hand, if they do release one. Sue the crap outta Gawker.

Either way show me the Tablet!!!
 
This is amusing

I love this quotation:

"For its part, Valleywag has not ended its contest, instead reiterating its position that tipsters should "stay within the bounds of the law" and use anonymous e-mail addresses to prevent identification."

Ha!

I think Vallywag is enjoying tweaking folks, including Apple.
 
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