Police Seize Gizmodo Editor's Computers and Other Property Related to Lost Next-Generation iPhone

[bdkennedy1]

Well I guess that common sense would dictate that Mr. Chen shouldn't have participated in events that would lead to the seizure of his equipment.

Action/Reaction.

Just saw this:

http://gizmodo.com/5524843/police-seize-jason-chens-computers

I can believe it, but it shouldn't have happened this way. Apple undoubtedly holds a great deal of sway in these matters. Apple lost a phone. It is despicable that a company as large as Apple then relies on and pressures public resources, such as our police, to harass and steal from someone who embarrassed Apple over having lost said phone. Can you possibly imagine losing all your data in one day? All your computers, iPhones, iPads, and your backups of all your data too? It's unfathomable.

 

[scmguru]

Apple is setting a precedent. Let this be a warning to anyone else who thinks it would be a good idea to disclose trade secrets on the internet.

Gizmodo had it coming.

Good for Apple.

PS- I'd be a bit concerned right now if I was part of management over @ Gawker.

 

[nanotlj]

obviously a lot of people here have lost basic morality and common sense. It is a shame!
If you find lost item and know who lost it, you should return it. If you do not, it has no difference to a steal. The police should catch the guy who "found" the iphone in the bar and sold it to gizmodo.
If you buy a item after you know it is a steal, then you get ****ed.

 

[Karvel]

This has MASSIVELY pissed me off. What a vile bunch of **** Apple are.

 

[Tampa Tom]

Back In The Old Days...

...we just would have taken this punk out in the desert and buried him up to his neck and let the scorpions loose. Ah...the good ol' days...

 

[neilw]

I don't know what to make of this case, but this I believe: the original person who "found" the phone had no serious desire to return it to its rightful owners. As has been written a thousand times, if he did, then he would have brought it back to the bar, or at least left his info there. Period.

If he wanted to get cute, he could have emailed Jobs. Dear Steve, I have your lost prototype, serial #blahblahblah. Think he would have gotten an answer?

If the guy was savvy enough to pull it apart and figure out what it was, then he also had enough brains to figure out a way to return it.

Stolen.

 

[ralphdaily]

This is great

This is great. Gizmodo deserves it. They bragged about not hearing from the police, then he comes home and there they are!!

 

[iVoid]

Chen was in possession of stolen property, the police raided his house.

Um... no. He returned the phone to Apple.

This really seems like overkill and smacks of trying to harm him and Gizmodo by taking the data and equipment. Even if it's returned someday, there will be lost productivity and time and money to put temporary systems back in order. Since they'd generally grab backups as well, some things won't be recoverable until the originals are returned.

 

[Don't panic]

still think that, unless it was all police and was out of apple's hands, this is not a smart move by apple.
the damage was done and this only ruins their image.

 

[ABG]

Chen was in possession of stolen property, the police raided his house.

You have no evidence the Apple had sway in the matter, it could merely be the media attention.

And you have no evidence that it was stolen property.

Usually when people undermine their own point its in different posts not the same one.

 

[aristokrat]

Jesus christ, it's a ****ing phone not the cure for cancer. Did you guys read the inventory of things the police took from his home? Among the things confiscated was a box of his business cards. Lolwut? And unless you live under a rock, everybody and their brother knows that Chen took possesion of the phone, so was it really necessary to bust down his door and take that much gear especially when Apple more than likely already has their jesus phone back?

Even though the information is on the internet, the police need (or prefer) physical evidence in a case, such as the sites servers, etc.

That has yet to be proven.

I think the $5000 price tag proves it quite well. Add that to the fact that they are a tech site, and they have no excuse for not knowing what they were handling.

 

[nos]

Spoken like a true genius.

Yep, if you think everything is for free roll over to the the other side.

I guess you would change your opinion if your car (or whatever) is stolen and sold to someone else, who knows it is stolen.

 

[tekboi]

If the clumsy ass apple employee lost the phone, then why should gizmodo be prosecuted for it? Why would I take apple's side in the matter at all. It wasn't like they actually "stole" anything. I don't even see how this would be against the law in the first place. But, as I said previously, money makes people go along with just about anything.

This is only happening because it was APPLE's phone that was stolen.

 

[ghostface147]

This is going to be fun and I hope that Gizmodo gets the appropriate punishment. This just equals more hits for them. They won't get one from me.

 

[hcoteen2008]

Why? All Apple did was report the matter to the police. It is up to the police to decide if the law has been broken and if so then to follow through to see if it is possible to prove the matter.

Actually it is up to D.A. to pursue charges. If the D.A. decides to pursue, then the D.A. will ask a judge for a search warrant which then the police will serve. But, I think the police went about this all wrong.

 

[tfskora]

Many Views

The story on gizmodo already has the most views of any story all day. This is win for them. Unless they get sued and have to pay millions. I have no opinion on the matter, i'm sure there's more than we know.

 

[MattSepeta]

ah

pahahaha.


ahahahahahahahahaha

hahahahahaaaaahhhhaaahaaaaahaaaahaaaaaa

Crazy world we live in when Apple is known as being the "Good Guy" in computing... I understand that Gizmoda totally f'ed up here (No doubt for page views) but REALLY, APPLE? The tides will turn against you again eventually, especially if you keep this nonsense up.

 

[ddarko]

was it stolen? I wasn't aware that it was proven. If it's not proven do you think it's right to break the law to prove that somebody else has broken the law? Nobody knows if Apple is behind this; but if this illegal then I seriously hope Apple protests to the way the case is being handled. The dude who left the phone in the bar got sloppy; and knowing the owner of the phone Gizmodo should have returned the phone to its rightful owner; but using an invalid warrant to take someone's property is just messed up

The contention that the search warrant is wrongly issued is Gizmodo's and Gizmodo's only so far. Obviously, the police and the judge who issued the warrant disagree. Obviously, Gizmodo's real lawyers - not their COO who is a British lawyer not admitted to practice in any state in the U.S. - will presumably go to court to have the warrant thrown out. But until then, the warrant appears to be validly issued.

And btw, everyone's assuming the police are searching for evidence to charge Gizmodo. I think it is far more likely they are hunting for the person who sold the device to Gizmodo and this person is the one likely to be prosecuted if this investigation gets turned over to the DA. They likely seized Chen's computers to search for that person's identity.

 

[cmaier]

IANAL, but I doubt even the press is exempt from the commission of a felony?

This statute has nothing to do with anything. It says you can't be held in contempt for refusing to reveal sources. It doesn't say that you are immune from warrants.

 

[mogzieee]

The original guy [who is now $5000 richer] just **** themselves.

Good luck with that one, mate.

 

[xlii]

you serious?

im sure they already have been there.


gizmodo gave up the name in a heartbeat in return for no jailtime for chen. watch

The guy who sold gizmodo the iPhone will also have to include it's sale (and his 5k profit) on next years tax return.

 

[kiljoy616]

Just saw this:

http://gizmodo.com/5524843/police-seize-jason-chens-computers

I can believe it, but it shouldn't have happened this way. Apple undoubtedly holds a great deal of sway in these matters. Apple lost a phone. It is despicable that a company as large as Apple then relies on and pressures public resources, such as our police, to harass and steal from someone who embarrassed Apple over having lost said phone. Can you possibly imagine losing all your data in one day? All your computers, iPhones, iPads, and your backups of all your data too? It's unfathomable.

that not what its for, what they are looking for would not be in the computer its more about intimidation and to see if they can find anything, even porn, discrediting is also a way to prosecute someone.

I told you California was a crazy law state. But hey not my problem any more, glad to move on from that place. Good luck to you I am sure they are going to make your life hell now.

 

[Alucardx03]

The most interesting and telling part of the seized inventory list is the box of business cards.

Let's extrapolate this... They already have access to Chen's personal information. They don't need the info that's on the cards. What they do need, however, is matching evidence. This leads me to believe that they've already seized property from the original sellers, and need to "match" the cards they found in their possession-- thus linking Chen to the deal.

 

[gunthian]

Wow...if ANY other company did this can you imagine the backlash? How can this possibly be good for Apple? "You got a hold of our phone, we are now going to send the police to kick in your door and take your things."

Probably won't be any backlash at all. Companies do worse all the time and the general public doesn't give a damn. EG. Independent farmers are regularly bankrupted over lawsuits by seed companies whose patented seeds fell off a truck and were blown by the wind into the farmer's field and started growing - farmers are sued over theft and patent violation. Does anyone care? No. People are already jaded about the behavior of big business.

 

[carmenodie]

Apple doesn't control the cops!!!
Gizmodo IMHO is working with a lot of shady characters. I bet that guy that lost the phone is part of a corporate conspiracy.
He leaves the phone right where his contact will pick it up. The phone is then given to Gizmodo(why them?) and Gizmodo sells it off the tech o the highest bidder.
This type of stuff happens all the time.
You noticed that every type of soda that Coke comes out with Pepsi has a competitor for it? And vice versa.
Gizmodo is going down!!!!!!!!!