Though if Kang is on Weibo he's likely dealing with Chinese law. And that's not much law at all . . . if the Chinese authorities want him to stop because Apple asks them to want him to stop . . . the "law" will stop him.
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Reliable Leaker Known as 'Kang' Hit With Warning From Apple
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There are plenty lawyers that would probably represent him for free, just for exposure
AFAIK, this is taking place in China. There are no ambulance chasers there - they're all in the US.
apple you have done nothing truly important in years . you continue to repurpose designs of old and tech . the iPhone was the newton etc.
swingerofbirch
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That's the problem. They don't employ most of the people who work for them. So they have no incentive to be loyal to Apple except threats from their contractor companies. It's surprising there aren't more leaks given how vast their supply chain is. When I worked for a contractor for Apple, Apple's training assumed you had no reason to be loyal to them (and the way they treated you, you didn't). (And this was in the US, not a country where contractors are treated even worse.) They instead went straight for the threats. "It's not worth it. We'll catch you. Here are examples of people who have been caught and how they ruined their lives. And for what?" Etc. They announce leakers who are caught (were they real or made up to scare people—I don't know). They threaten prison time. They even have pseudo-police forces that really should be illegal because they impersonate police. You have to ask why with hundreds of thousands of people working around the world for Apple, there aren't more leaks. It's the threat of violence. If I lived in China and worked for an Apple contractor, I would definitely fear violence for leaking.
This is just one example I found doing a quick search of Apple impersonating police:
Apple accused of impersonating police during effort to recover lost iPhone 5 prototype
This whole lost iPhone 5 prototype story just got whole lot more interesting. According to SF Weekly, six investigators claiming to be members of the …
bgr.com
Where I worked, this was the norm. They act as if they are law enforcement and they threaten prison time as if they are the ones able to actually enforce it. Creepy company. Can't imagine how it is in China. I guess I usually try to block that part out of my head.
Notice that they sent this to leakers who are not in the US. Where there is no 1st Amendment right to the press etc.
Possibly legal in their country, but awfully bad to the eye test and underhanded still.
This is the old, well, child labor is illegal in the US but not China (or not enforced), wink wink. Abusing other country's laws or lack thereof. It's slimy no matter how you cut it even if not really against that country's laws to do so; or in this case even if they have the legal right to demand this there.
It's a low blow move, and really bad to the eye test. Even being legally in the right doesn't mean you aren't a slimeball by doing it.
Maybe they should go after the real leaks in their company/suppliers. Rather than people repeating what they hear.
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Absolutely. You'd have to be an idiot to not be intimidated when a company that size decides it doesn't like what you're doing.
Kang is in China, which means Apple can contact authority and he’d be removed from all traces in a whimper. That, I believe, is something that scares him the most. There is no first amendment, no safe harbour of any sort, so yeah. That’s a valid approach for him.
Onto Apple, the only way to hold off top level secrecy imo would be to move all production to USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand etc, where laws might block leakers from disclosing sensitive information. Would Apple willing to do so though? Also, if all what their marketing team can do is spitting out random numbers or random claims assuming people outside Apple don’t know anything about upcoming products, I’d say maybe go out and learn a few more new tricks.
Onto Apple, the only way to hold off top level secrecy imo would be to move all production to USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand etc, where laws might block leakers from disclosing sensitive information. Would Apple willing to do so though? Also, if all what their marketing team can do is spitting out random numbers or random claims assuming people outside Apple don’t know anything about upcoming products, I’d say maybe go out and learn a few more new tricks.
I agree. Too many leakers at the moment... We need just one but reliable at what he/she does!
While everyone comes to mak rumors for juicy possible rumors, the bottom line is every leaker is a scum bag. Get a life.
Anyone who has ever had B2B dealings with Apple will likely tell you that they are massive bullies. All the "we love our customers" is part true, they just leave the word "money" off the end of the sentence. It is why it is funny seeing how quick and readily the ADL are triggered.
As an attorney, I can tell you that's completely irrelevant. Apple can go after the leakers themselves, but they can't go after reporters who obtain the information from leakers and then publish. This is just a scare tactic by Apple which, sadly, seems to be working.
I'm not a lawyer, but I do have basic comprehension skills so I suppose we're even.
Apple has had nothing leak-worthy for so long. That's the true crime here.
I missed that this was being done in China.
Apple is a US company, and I was making the assumption that they were threatening legal action in the US.
China on the other hand, I won't comment on.
Spoken like someone who has no idea what the first amendment actually guarantees. Quick litmus test: Is Apple a part of the government? The answer is no so the first amendment does not apply.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.Apple can make whatever statements it wants, and bring any suit it wishes to in civil court.
Sorry, it's an issue that really gets under my skin when people claim the first amendment has broad-reaching implications that just aren't there.
The first amendment doesn’t apply here. That amendment only applies to how the government can regulate speech.
Wow three pages and no one wants to talk about the elephant in the room. Apple wants to stop this because of all the "leaks" that are something amazing that doesn't come to be or doesn't get announced. You know you're not doing so hot when leakers can make something up and it generates more hype than the real announcements. 
How many on this forum alone were complaining no new hardware at WWDC this year? Most of us knew it wasn't going to happen but plenty were still hyped at the leak then disappointed at the real thing. Apple doesn't want that false hope out there that they are doing things people want.
How many on this forum alone were complaining no new hardware at WWDC this year? Most of us knew it wasn't going to happen but plenty were still hyped at the leak then disappointed at the real thing. Apple doesn't want that false hope out there that they are doing things people want.
I have to side with Apple on this. Leaking confidential information is different than idle speculation that happens to coincide with confidential information. If the guy is publishing confidential information, then Apple needs to go after the publisher of that info (but in the process prove that what was leaked was indeed confidential) to get to the leaker.
But the larger reason for this is that Apple wants tight control over what gets leaked. They strategically leak information for their own purposes. These rogue leaks interfere with that.
But the larger reason for this is that Apple wants tight control over what gets leaked. They strategically leak information for their own purposes. These rogue leaks interfere with that.
Not really. Only people on these sites know about the leaks. The leaks benefits their competitors and has on multiple occasions allowed them to get a running start to copy what Apple is doing and rush it to market, sometimes two weeks before an Apple event sometimes a year because the leakers claimed it was eminent. Look at the tracker situation. Those ongoing leaks created all kinds of problems including tile trying to use the government to block them.
He had a plethora of information.......but do you think he had a plethora of pinatas?