Steve Jobs on Stolen Prototype iPhone: Not Going to Let It Slide.

[eedna]

im not really sure it qualifies as stolen property, to me anyway. the developer lost it. the guy who found it made a reasonable effort to return it, to no avail. could he have done more to try to return it? sure, but if you got offered 5 grand for it you would have done the exact same thing in selling it.

i think its not worth it at all for steve to go after chen. chen did what any journalist in his position would have done, and its not like after apple asked for it he said no. its not going to make apple look good, its not going to make up anything that was lost (profit or otherwise), all hes going to be doing is ruining some kid who caught a lucky breaks life.

 

[Chaszmyr]

This is such BS.

What did Gizmodo try to extort from Apple?

I'm assuming he is referring to when Gizmodo said they would be happy to return the iPhone to Apple in exchange for a written letter stating that the phone belonged to Apple.

im not really sure it qualifies as stolen property, to me anyway. the developer lost it. the guy who found it made a reasonable effort to return it, to no avail. could he have done more to try to return it? sure, but if you got offered 5 grand for it you would have done the exact same thing in selling it.

According to California law, property that is found by someone who is not the original owner does not transfer ownership away from the original owner for a fairly lengthy period of time (3 months I think), and when it does, the ownership transfers to the owner of the land the item was found on, not the person who found it. The person who found the phone had absolutely no legal right to sell it.

 

[Arran]

...Wait until the whole story is told, and only then draw judgment.

Where's the fun in that

but you are right.

 

[i.mac]

things to come:

1. after the keynote next week, when iphone 4 is finally revealed (the real official one), sues are going to start flying... (may be they'll wait until after the official investigation...)

2. Gizmodo has it coming. They should sell out while they can, go bankrupt, and start another sleazy company elsewhere, in china for example.

 

[Object-X]

It was stolen

Jobs finally says it, and what no one reporting would -- that the phone might have been stolen. And after reading the police reports at how everyone acted in this drama, I fully support Apple not letting it go. That the guy who 'allegedly' found it was so calloused about the engineer's fate, was proof to me that he stole it. Thieves never care about their victims.

 

[i.mac]

Might as well quit because there is nothing he can do about it now. The damage is done.

damage is done for sure, but the pay back has hardly started...

 

[kenypowa]

I'm assuming he is referring to when Gizmodo said they would be happy to return the iPhone to Apple in exchange for a written letter stating that the phone belonged to Apple.

I honestly doubt a letter stating ownership of the phone = extortion.

 

[Chaszmyr]

I honestly doubt a letter stating ownership of the phone = extortion.

Under more normal circumstances, I would totally agree with you and it would be totally uncontroversial. In this case, though, if this is what SJ was referring to he might have a point. Gizmodo wasn't looking to make sure they returned the phone to their rightful owner, they knew full well that it belonged to Apple. The only reason they asked for a letter is so they would have proof to offer to their readers that it was a legit prototype.

 

[i.mac]

...

What did Gizmodo try to extort from Apple?

are you really this ignorant?

 

[grs]

im not really sure it qualifies as stolen property, to me anyway. the developer lost it. the guy who found it made a reasonable effort to return it, to no avail.

Apparently you didn't read the affidavit in support of the search warrant. The guy who found it made an effort to identify the owner, but not to return the phone. Instead, he contacted Gizmodo, PC World, and Engadget in an effort to start a bidding war.

 

[E.Lizardo]

Which core value would that be? An eye for an eye?

To be frank, I'm perfectly okay if he's doing it for; revenge, to teach them a lesson or to set an example. But wrapping it up in warm fuzzy talk about "core values" sounds a bit incongruous.

I'm really having trouble understanding you people.A crime was committed.It was reported.You wouldn't do the same if your car was stolen?

 

[tonyshucraft]

In regards to people saying that people should focus all on the guy whom lost the phone, stupidity isn't illegal, stealing is and the buying and selling of stolen goods is also illegal. It is within Apple's right to make issue of this.

I don't care how some people might think that "well, if you lose it, it's your own fault...so what...finders keepers....I mean if I found it, I totally would have kept it.....that's probably why I am of the opinion or because I am bitter because the same thing happened to me....".

And I don't know that I'd automatically fire the guy. Because things like that are bound to happen and you want people to continue to test fully the products and not be so afraid of losing their jobs that something like this may happen that they don't do things that you would normally do, which kinda helps when you are doing some sort of real world testing.

 

[JodyK]

Apple has to pursue this so this doesn't become the norm. People selling their prototype products and trade secrets.

BUT on a side note will ALL the OVERWHELMING PRESS over this it will surely help sell even more iPhones and make Apple millions!

I speculate Gizmodo will not be there for the official announcement next week.

 

[thesmileman]

I concluded the worst thing that could happen is if we change our core values and let it slide

I would hate to have Steve change his core values like bastardizing his son and taking the credit for so many of other peoples ideas and inventions.

Sometimes your core values suck and need to change.

 

[SoGood]

That slimy Gizmodo should be nailed! Good on ya SJ!

 

[JodyK]

I would hate to have Steve change his core values like bastardizing his son and taking the credit for so many of other peoples ideas and inventions.

Sometimes your core values suck and need to change.

You came to the wrong place to talk like that.

 

[realeric]

Steve is right. Chen is a criminal.

 

[cmaier]

This is such BS.

What did Gizmodo try to extort from Apple?

They refused to return apple's property unless apple gave them a letter they could post on the web. That's extortion.

 

[Avatar74]

Seriously? You guys already included this as part of a bigger piece down below... and you duplicate this quote to create a whole other piece. Pageview whoring much?

Steve Jobs was right... We don't want a blogger-dominated media, and editorial guidance is sorely lacking.

This is just bull**** stats whoring. Give me a break.

 

[JediZenMaster]

Obviously when it comes to the issue of Gizmodo/Jason Chen people are not really outraged about him. They are more outraged at apple and blinded by their hate.


But face it guys all the whining and crying is not going to stop this train. There was a law broken and money changed hands. Common sense regardless of Little guy VS big corp is still breaking the law.

If the world ran by the logic of some people on this board people would get away with everything and anything.

 

[reactions]

This is such BS.

What did Gizmodo try to extort from Apple?

lol steve jobs is smoking crack

there was no extortion or then a real law would of been broken

why i bet there fanboys now picking at Chen's house - probably sending him nasty fanboy hate to him.

"U RUINED OUR SURPRISE U AZN BASTARD!"

"GIZMODO HOW DARE U TAKE ON ONE OF OUR OWN??! APPLE, OUR LOVELY MULTIBILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION!?"

fanboys - let us not act in haste - let us join together and give praise to our lord Steve Jobs !

Steve is right. Chen is a criminal.

and you are a fanboy - guess you both lose.

I'm assuming he is referring to when Gizmodo said they would be happy to return the iPhone to Apple in exchange for a written letter stating that the phone belonged to Apple.



According to California law, property that is found by someone who is not the original owner does not transfer ownership away from the original owner for a fairly lengthy period of time (3 months I think), and when it does, the ownership transfers to the owner of the land the item was found on, not the person who found it. The person who found the phone had absolutely no legal right to sell it.

again if a law was broken then that azn guy would of been tossed in jail.

he found a phone - i could of claimed it was mine.

of course a letter was necessary to ensure that it was going back to the proper owner.

 

[cvaldes]

I would hate to have Steve change his core values like bastardizing his son and taking the credit for so many of other peoples ideas and inventions.

Sometimes your core values suck and need to change.

As an AAPL shareholder, I am perfectly happy with letting Steve maintain the same core values at Apple.

But that's just me...

 

[thesmileman]

You came to the wrong place to talk like that.

I love apple products and I like a lot of what Jobs does. In fact I was first in line for the iPad 3G and I sent Steve an email while waiting to say thanks for the great product. I just find it funny when people put themselves in "pots calling the kettle black" situations. I don't think anyone who has done an even marginal background on Steve Jobs would find him to be a person with "core values" that are truly respectable and as he said it would just tear him up to change his core values.

 

[JediZenMaster]

and you are a fanboy - guess you both lose.

It's better to be a fanboy then to worship that piece of yellow journalism called gizmodo. Lemmings can even figure out this was a crime. Pretty much according to your comment the law is pretty much interchangable right? It's alright for jason chen to commit a crime? Because he is some Quasi-Robin hood like figure?

Give me a break the law is the law regardless of who breaks it or not. And Gawker and Chen are hardly the little guy in this respect.

I'm sure both of them are well off compared to the unemployed masses. So let's not talk about victims and suffering shall we?

 

[thesmileman]

They refused to return apple's property unless apple gave them a letter they could post on the web. That's extortion.

I see a reason to demand a letter saying that what I have found is yours before I give it to you. If not Apple could just demand every iPhone KIRF any website takes pictures of. Now I am quite sure there was little (read: no) doubt that it was an Apple product but I think it makes since to get an official documentation of ownership before giving something to someone.