Search Warrant For Lost Next-Generation iPhone Ordered Unsealed

[koach]

No, it exists to prosecute those who break the law, such as is the case being investigated currently. You people are angry at the wrong corporation (Apple), you really should be angry with the Police force, because you know that we wouldn't get the same attention. But that doesn't make Apple the bad guy, it just means that our police force sucks. I would want the same attention if my property was stolen. It seems the police is only interested in doing their due diligence when there is a risk of them looking bad. So much for protect and serve, which has slowly been degrading for a long period of time now.

When one entity uses its clout to get special treatment, the fault lies with the one doing the pushing AND the one taking the push. I blame Apple and the legal system. Apple shouldn't be bullying, and the legal system shouldn't be bending over and handing Apple a bottle of KY.

It has everything to do with it! If you report that someone stole your knitting needle that you bought for $1 at the corner store, the police won't care. If you report a one of a kind $10000 diamond was stolen, they will care. The value of the object stolen, or the value of the damage done, has everything to do with theft and robbery.

The bonus to this is that IP has value that can not be returned. The cost of making the prototype is nothing to Apple. It's the IP that is of value. And this has the added bonus of bordering on espionage, not petty theft because someone needed to score some crack.

And therein lies one of the many many problems with this absurd concept of "intellectual property." The phone itself cost maybe a few hundred to make, but Apple can make up whatever number they want to and claim it as potential lost sales because their "intellectual property" was stolen.

 

[calzon65]

The reason people are so bent out of shape about this is because this is further proof that our country has become a corporatocracy.

If I had lost my phone (my personal phone or even some invention I was creating in my garage as part of my plan to create a new product and start a company), and someone found/bought it and returned it back to me, I PROMISE that there would be no police investigation like this. They wouldn't be issuing search warrants, busting down doors, sealing court documents.

Corporations have more privileges than ordinary citizens with none of the responsibility. A lot of people like myself are tired of it. But as long as our government is bought and paid for by lobbying and campaign contributions, it will never change.

Well said!!!! Individuals would NEVER receive this type of "support" from law enforcement...NEVER.

Apple, especially the Kool-Aid drinking kids working in Apple stores, loves to portray itself as the benevolent, liberal, "cool/hip" company, but in reality they are no different than any other company. Apple should stop putting on the “act” of some “loving” company.

 

[Earendil]

Not even work.
The guy was a reporter and so is protected under the LAW from those types of searches and seizures.

Dead Wrong. The law protects the media from being forced to reveal a source, when the media has not committed a crime.

That all goes away when the media is accused of the crime. The law does not give the media immunity from crime convictions. This has little to do with the source, and more to do with whether Giz was knowingly dealing in stolen property.

 

[Nocaster]

Wait, a phone call from Steve Jobs wasn't good enough for Gizmodo, they needed a letter (proof to publish)?

That's pretty much a dick move in my book.

 

[IndustrialSpace]

I want to see one episode of South Park dedicated to the iPhone leak, it would be hilarious

+1

I love how South Park does social commentary!


Too bad about Mohammad the bear... LOL

 

[Evangelion]

I don't think that's the issue...

The issue is why did the PO-lice go into the editor's house and search the crap outta it...

Apple asked for it, they gave it back. What purpose was solved by searching the guy's HOME? Work, sure, home??

You traffick in stolen property, and because of that you get in trouble with the police. Well, there's a real shocker

 

[gwangung]

Well said!!!! Individuals would NEVER receive this type of "support" from law enforcement...NEVER.

According to several posters in the thread already, NEVER has already come and gone.

 

[snberk103]

The reason people are so bent out of shape about this is because this is further proof that our country has become a corporatocracy.

I...

First, we prefer the term "Plutocracy," which is an actual word. Look it up.

...

I'm with Koach. When Disney can get a form of government named after one of it's characters, then Corps Rulz!!!

Wait one.... I'm just being told.... that..... the dog was named, uh-huh... Oh - ok.....

oooooppppsss...... never mind..... carry on.....

 

[IndustrialSpace]

Well said!!!! Individuals would NEVER receive this type of "support" from law enforcement...NEVER.

Apple, especially the Kool-Aid drinking kids working in Apple stores, loves to portray itself as the benevolent, liberal, "cool/hip" company, but in reality they are no different than any other company. Apple should stop putting on the “act” of some “loving” company.

The Apple store Genius' and sales staff are too much. Their whole persona is hysterical. Where do they find these dweebs to work there? Clearly, they drink up the Kool-aid, Jonestown-style!

 

[iLunar]

Wait, a phone call from Steve Jobs wasn't enough for Gizmodo, they needed a letter (proof to publish)?

That's pretty much a dick move in my book.

Interesting how Gizmodo left out that little detail before they published the letter, huh? And it is nowhere to be found in their extensive lost iPhone coverage. Yet, they see it fit to release the name of the Apple engineer who lost the phone.

Kudos, Giz, you're doing a bang up job

 

[budselectjr]

Sorry but really who cares. This is page 1 news. Please. Site. Consistently. Downhill.

Jason. Chen. Gizmodo. You. Are. Not. Important.

^This

I read the first post and couldn't bring myself to care. lol

But both of you care enough to come and post a comment.

 

[thinkdesign]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11) Sprint PPC6850SP)

Could we have the option to read Mac Rumors, without breathless stories on the latest minutae of this too-cute-by-half snarkfest?

 

[Earendil]

When one entity uses its clout to get special treatment, the fault lies with the one doing the pushing AND the one taking the push. I blame Apple and the legal system. Apple shouldn't be bullying, and the legal system shouldn't be bending over and handing Apple a bottle of KY.

Citation citation huge fracking request for citation. We have seen no evidence that supports the notion that Apple has done anything that a citizen couldn't do. Despite your colorful analogies, saying it or hearing it on this forum does not make it true, nor does your paranoia. Until I see some proof, I'm assuming innocence until proven guilty.

And therein lies one of the many many problems with this absurd concept of "intellectual property." The phone itself cost maybe a few hundred to make, but Apple can make up whatever number they want to and claim it as potential lost sales because their "intellectual property" was stolen.

What is that absurd? I think we can agree that no matter the exact value of the damage, what Gizmodo is being accused of is a big deal. It's not as if Gizmodo was under the impression that they were only making public $100 worth of IP. They could have known it was a million worth, and they still would have done it to make the front page. That is the question that the law is trying to settle.

The take away is that you shouldn't be buying and selling other people's IP. Doing so is illegal, and I have no problem with those sorts of crimes being punished.

 

[Evangelion]

Well said!!!! Individuals would NEVER receive this type of "support" from law enforcement...NEVER.

Bullcrap. Regural people routinely get this level of support. All it takes is for the police to know who the people who trafficked in stolen property were. I remember stories where people were able to track down their stolen MacBooks, and they even got pictures of the thies by using Photonooth. Once they provided the police with their info, police went in.

And since Gizmodo was stupid enough to traffick in stolen goods, and brag about it online, it doesn't really take a Sherlock Holmes to determine where their investigation should head to.

Apple, especially the Kool-Aid drinking kids working in Apple stores, loves to portray itself as the benevolent, liberal, "cool/hip" company, but in reality they are no different than any other company. Apple should stop putting on the “act” of some “loving” company.

yeah, when one of their top-secret phones is stolen, and high-profile website engages in trafficking with stolen goods, Apple should just let it be. Yeah right

here's a question: why are so many people whining over this? Police are doing their job. Apples phone was stolen. Apple reported it to the police. Police knew who had bought that phone from the thief (since they were dumb enough to brag about it online). So what exactly is the problem here? Why exactly should the police NOT do what they did? Since when should theft and trafficking in stolen property be allowed? Seriously?

 

[nwcs]

Quite a few people here seem to have no idea how the criminal justice system works in the United States or California. Just for the record, watching TV shows is not sufficient background to learn what is legal and illegal in many cases. Same as watching news shows.

 

[rish]

The Point of the Search...

You would have a point if he hadnt already returned the phone.... What was the point after the fact... that wouldnt happen for the average person.....

after the phone was returned was the fact that the knuckle head took pictures of it, used his computer to post it online and finally he had information on an unreleased device that he could easily have posted to a competitor resulting in a loss of income, losing the market advantage for which a sum cannot be placed.

I'll be glad to hear Gizmodo's butt gets totally fried for this.

 

[Hurda]

Quite a few people here seem to have no idea how the criminal justice system works in the United States or California. Just for the record, watching TV shows is not sufficient background to learn what is legal and illegal in many cases. Same as watching news shows.

Countless hours watching "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Legal", wasted. Denny Crane.

 

[awmazz]

Clearly, they drink up the Kool-aid, Jonestown-style!

Tautology police cap ON -> as opposed to drinking the Kool-aid in what other style?

 

[absolutmp5]

wow really...

Apple has done nothing wrong. The fact that gizmodo paid for stolen property and the original finder made questionable attempts to return the phone is enough to promote a investigation. If someone stole your property and returned it to you, it does not mean they did not commit a crime.


Also you have to realize how damaging this was. This story was on every major news publication and gizmodo got millions of hits. I know for us macrumors readers we can have a pretty good approximation of when new hardware was coming out but think about apple's majority of customers. Millions of people who were contemplating buying a 3gs or 3g iphone would now have a strong incentive to hold out and investigate this new model's release date. Im sure we can see a dip ( to what magnitude) in iphone hardware sales when this store broke out.

 

[nwcs]

Countless hours watching "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Legal", wasted. Denny Crane.

(slightly altered)

"...Here are some results from our phone-in poll: 95% of the people believe Apple is guilty. Of course this is just a television poll, which is not legally binding; unless Proposition 304 passes, and we all pray it will."

 

[tacoplenty]

Dumb question

When this phone turned up missing, why didn't Apple call it and ask whoever answered to give it back?

 

[Serelus]

Citation citation huge fracking request for citation. We have seen no evidence that supports the notion that Apple has done anything that a citizen couldn't do. Despite your colorful analogies, saying it or hearing it on this forum does not make it true, nor does your paranoia. Until I see some proof, I'm assuming innocence until proven guilty.



What is that absurd? I think we can agree that no matter the exact value of the damage, what Gizmodo is being accused of is a big deal. It's not as if Gizmodo was under the impression that they were only making public $100 worth of IP. They could have known it was a million worth, and they still would have done it to make the front page. That is the question that the law is trying to settle.

The take away is that you shouldn't be buying and selling other people's IP. Doing so is illegal, and I have no problem with those sorts of crimes being punished.

I am pretty sure an average citizen couldn't get the police to break into your house, AFTER I already had my phone given back to me.

 

[arn]

Interesting how Gizmodo left out that little detail before they published the letter, huh? And it is nowhere to be found in their extensive lost iPhone coverage.

um... it was in plain sight:

http://gizmodo.com/5520479/a-letter-apple-wants-its-secret-iphone-back

"This phone was lost, and then found. But from Apple's perspective, it could have been considered stolen. I told them, all they have to do to get it back is to claim it—on record."

 

[nwcs]

When this phone turned up missing, why didn't Apple call it and ask whoever answered to give it back?

You wipe it because you don't want confidential or trade secret information leaked. Very similar to when the US spy plane was forced to crash land in China several years ago. They destroyed as much as they could before China could ransack the plane but the plane itself was also valuable information.

And think about it. If someone stole your phone and you called it and said, "please give me my phone back" what do you think the thief would say? "I'm sorry, I'll come by your house and drop it off. I'll even make sure it's fully charged."???

 

[sjinsjca]

The guy was a reporter and so is protected under the LAW from those types of searches and seizures. Giz knew it and they were prepared.

Nope.

Look, if I mug your grandmother and hide her purse under my bed should I be immune from a search warrant because I write a blog?

Read the linked article. The finder's roommate had called the cops to tell them he was hiding and destroying evidence in his apartment-- a crime in itself. The cops had every reason to act like right now to prevent evidence about a crime from being destroyed.

Crimes are crimes. This isn't a reporter claiming 1st Amendment rights to protect a source. This is (allegedly) a reporter paying large dollars for stolen property. Big difference.