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

[JAT]

People will go to jail for this. And a personal call from steve jobs was enough - no letter is required. They had already published that it was apple's phone, so they knew it belonged to apple. Demanding something in exchange for returning property is extortion.

I'm a little surprised that you missed this, considering your background. The letter was nothing, he simply asked for legal proof in writing. Isn't that heart and soul of the system? (ok, maybe he sounded like an ass when he did it, hardly a felony)

What he extorted was the demands for better access to Apple secrets because he is a "journalist". It basically read like, "give me $2mil in small bills in a paper bag, and you can have your phone back."

For maybe the first time, I am in complete agreement with SJ. Journalism is the biggest source of privacy infringement in the history of humans. Kill it.

 

[stationstops]

Steve,

In America, our 'core values' lie with giving our journalists a super-wide legal berth, not with mega-corporations unleashing their unlimited legal power on them when their employees get drunk and leave prototypes laying around.

Just like Adobe (whose Mac support was the tentpole of early Mac sales) and Bill Gates (Largest third-party Mac software seller on earth who invested $170M and publicly promised to support Mac with Office when your chips were down), you are taking a giant, stinky, poop on the exact same people who brought you to the prom.

His arrogance is just beyond frustrating.

 

[shakenmartini]

Steve,

In America, our 'core values' lie with giving our journalists a super-wide legal berth, not with mega-corporations unleashing their unlimited legal power on them when their employees get drunk and leave prototypes laying around.

Just like Adobe (whose Mac support was the tentpole of early Mac sales) and Bill Gates (Largest third-party Mac software seller on earth who invested $170M and publicly promised to support Mac with Office when your chips were down), you are taking a giant, stinky, poop on the exact same people who brought you to the prom.

His arrogance is just beyond frustrating.

Except we don't give journalists, if a blogger can even be called that, the right to knowingly buy stolen goods which based on the police affidavit, Chen knowingly did under California law.

Based on the actions of the thief/finder he knew what he did was illegal since he tried to conceal evidence. There is way more to this story than the thief/finder simply "finding" a concealed phone at the bar. It was very likely stolen from the backpack since I have now read three different gizmodo accounts of how the phone was "found".

By the way, engadet was offered the phone fiesta and in consultation with legal decided to pass. I wonder why their legal team advised their editors to pass on the story of the year? It couldn't be because legal told them they could be fou d guilty of receiving stolen goods could it?

I've heard.

Found on a bar stool by the finder
Found by someone else and then taken by the thief
Found under a table in the restaurant by someone at the bar.

(except the apple engineer was sitting at a table)

In any case found propoerty is not the finders to sell under California law, especially when you know who the owner is, which the thief was well aware it was a prototype and he even knew which apple engineer it belonged to. I'll even bet money the thief never even contacted apple support to give it back. I'm sure court records will eventually back this up.

 

[Iconoclysm]

I just don't understand what could be going through Jason Chen's mind. He honestly should have known better.

One Person vs. A corporation

Guess who has the most lawyers..

That's the case in a law suit but this is a criminal matter. Doesn't matter how many lawyers either side has, the DA is going after him.

He should have known better than to buy a stolen phone...but that Brian Lam guy actually was the one who probably pushed the buttons with his absolutely retarded, disrespectful, and immature emails.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Steve,

In America, our 'core values' lie with giving our journalists a super-wide legal berth, not with mega-corporations unleashing their unlimited legal power on them when their employees get drunk and leave prototypes laying around.

Just like Adobe (whose Mac support was the tentpole of early Mac sales) and Bill Gates (Largest third-party Mac software seller on earth who invested $170M and publicly promised to support Mac with Office when your chips were down), you are taking a giant, stinky, poop on the exact same people who brought you to the prom.

His arrogance is just beyond frustrating.

Aside from the fact that you've completely missed the fact that these "journalists" committed a crime...

Are you really saying that Apple should cater to Adobe and Microsoft for support they've been given in the past? And how, exactly, did Apple take a poop on Bill Gates? Moreover, I'm sure Apple's stockholders would love to hear how Apple was going to make stupid decisions like supporting Flash on their devices "just because".

 

[derek4484]

Jobs is a ***** tool

That guy didnt steal it, his slack employee lost it. Then the guy tried to return it by calling Apple HQ and they told him he was crazy. So then he sold it to Gizmodo. Gizmodo wrote a couple of blog posts about it. There was no extortion attempts. Steve Jobs is just a big ***** tool. Drop dead Stevie.

 

[Becordial]

Journalism is the biggest source of privacy infringement in the history of humans. Kill it.

Does this mean we'll be reading the phone book and dictionary for kicks?

 

[taran420]

Good for apple

gizmodo knew exactly what it was doing by leaking the prototype. They knew they shouldve returned the phone but also knew they would profit immensely from this story.

So if gizmodo reaped the benefits from an unethical and illegal move then apple should be allowed and is completely right if they want to pursue a legal case against gizmodo

 

[xgman]

It's a friggin phone. It's not a nuclear device or somehow tied to national security. Much to so about nothing. Those that were so upset about the leak shouldn't have looked at the pictures and read the articles. Hypocrites!

 

[zioxide]

California law has regulations about returning property to its rightful owner.

didn't the guy who found it try to contact apple about it and they ignored him? if so, then it's their own damn fault.

I fail to have sympathy for a mega corporation who made 5 billion dollars in profit in the first quarter of this year.

 

[jonhcox]

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.

I think the shmuck that sold the phone is getting what he deserved. He sold it for money. It was someone else's property. His attempts at contacting the guy that lost it were lame, at best. Most 20-something guys know what an iPhone looks like. He knew it wasn't like any he had seen, and he knew he could make some money selling it. It's that simple. Plus, can you make yourself look any more guilty by planting the camera's data card in a bush?

As for Gizmodo- one of them pretty much stated that because Apple hadn't been "giving them any info- related to the iPad's release", they were going to hold onto the phone until someone from Apple called and asked for it. That reads a little like extortion. And yes, that's punishable by law. Apple doesn't owe Gizmodo anything. Tech blogs come and go.

You should read the police report. It will clarify just how "hard" the guy tried to return the phone to the poor sap that lost it and just how "badly" Gizmodo wanted to give it back to Apple. I'd be willing to bet that the receptionist wouldn't know a damn thing about a new iPhone. Like most corporations that make high tech products, only a few within that program would have that prototype and those few and their managers would know it. Personally, I think the guy that lost it is ultimately at fault. It was a pre-production model of a phone and- thanks to a couple of beers- he lost it. It would have been in my damn pocket had it been me. That's his own fault, but the guy that found it should have given it to the barkeep. Most people, when they lose something, go back to the place they lost it. The kid that found it knew exactly what he was doing, especially as Apple was just around the corner. Gizmodo just tried to control the deal with Apple in the absolute wrong way and they are getting their balls clipped for it. Tough luck Jason, you could have handled it better and come out looking like a hero.

 

[3runjosh]

why would he let it slide and show a weakness. If he did that then if the same thing happened again with future apple product prototypes people wouldn't even give it a second thought to repeat the actions taken place previously... If steve continues to not let this slide then he is casting a wall of fear over anyone who tries it again and therefore limits the chance of secrets being unveiled. Whoever gives this a negative needs to go back to logic school rofl.

 

[JAT]

Does this mean we'll be reading the phone book and dictionary for kicks?

If the personal side of journalism (mostly dealing with celebrities' lives) is where you get your kicks, I feel for you. Try fiction.

 

[JAT]

It's a friggin phone. It's not a nuclear device or somehow tied to national security. Much to so about nothing. Those that were so upset about the leak shouldn't have looked at the pictures and read the articles. Hypocrites!

didn't the guy who found it try to contact apple about it and they ignored him? if so, then it's their own damn fault.

I fail to have sympathy for a mega corporation who made 5 billion dollars in profit in the first quarter of this year.

You guys should try reading the details before mouthing off. A prototype of a new device can be worth millions, esp when it is a high-profile, high-demand item like the next iPhone. It's basically impossible to put an actual dollar amount on it due to the intangibles. And no, the guy didn't try to contact Apple, he started (or tried) a bidding war between blog sites.

 

[Becordial]

If the personal side of journalism (mostly dealing with celebrities' lives) is where you get your kicks, I feel for you. Try fiction.

I never said that so please don't put words into my mouth. With misquotes like that no wonder you're terrified of journalism.

 

[mccldwll]

if this is so then a multi billion dollar company shouldn't have any issue prosecuting Chen to the full extent of the law.

But i dont think it was right that Apple Fanboys sent him death threats for ruining 'their iphone 4 surprise'? dont u agree?

Some idiots will believe anything they read. PR 101 would suggest that Gizmodo itself and its minions sent Chen any such emails to attempt to create sympathy for Chen. Were you such a sender?

 

[mccldwll]

That guy didnt steal it, his slack employee lost it. Then the guy tried to return it by calling Apple HQ and they told him he was crazy. So then he sold it to Gizmodo. Gizmodo wrote a couple of blog posts about it. There was no extortion attempts. Steve Jobs is just a big ***** tool. Drop dead Stevie.

Shouldn't you be catching your school bus about now?

 

[mccldwll]

Core values my ass. Of course the employee is going to say the phone was stolen from his bag. DUH!

Wouldn't you to save your job working under someone notoriously tyrannical as Steve Jobs?
I'd say I was held at gun point for christ sakes! LOL

I think this makes Steve Jobs and Apple look petty.
Apple wasn't really hurt much, the employee doesn't deserve to be fired.
SHT happens.

Having a Soviet era style home invasion of a journalist at Apple's request by police is just beyond ridiculous and a bit scary.

This ones gonna come back to bite Steve in the ass. Mark my words.

He didn't say it was stolen.
No home "invasion"--warrant to recover stolen property containing easily transferrable trade secrets. Totally reasonable under the circumstances.
Chen not a journalist.
Your words are marked.

 

[jsdc2005]

When Apple asked Jason Chen for their iPhone back. Chen had the audacity to tell Apple they would give it back as long as they got a letter saying it was indeed the prototype iPhone.

THAT is extortion.

It's not. It's asking someone who claims that you have their property to document it somehow. Extortion requires you to ask for something that you have no right to request otherwise. If Apple had a right to the phone, it should have no problem stating that it owns it.

 

[acesam]

Go to page 13.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31376177/Gizmodo-iPhoneOrder

That's the extortion he was talking about.

 

[kudukudu]

I don't consider myself an apple fanboy and I am critical of a lot of choices apple has made in terms of omissions from their product lines (E.g. where is the prosumer tower), lack of features (e.g. Finder is crap), etc. But I agree that Steve should go after these guys:

1) not going after them sets an important precedent and virtually guarantees that any future lost prototypes will be appear on the web analyzed and dissected.

2) I don't remember the specifics of California law, but I remember seeing some postings that made it sounds like this was a pretty black and white case both for the fellow who sold the phone and the buyer of the phone.

3) From an ethical perspective, I think everyone can agree that what the seller and buyer did was wrong (e.g. seller found a secret prototype that someone lost, made a half-hearted attempt to return it and sold it for a high $$$$$. Buyer knew they were purchasing something from someone who was not the rightful owner and published pictures of the device on the web).

 

[wreckshop]

You guys should try reading the details before mouthing off. A prototype of a new device can be worth millions, esp when it is a high-profile, high-demand item like the next iPhone. It's basically impossible to put an actual dollar amount on it due to the intangibles. And no, the guy didn't try to contact Apple, he started (or tried) a bidding war between blog sites.

And it could have just as easily been some worthless weird knockoff from china how is he supposed to know.

All this Chen Guy asked apple to do was claim their lost item in writing which is perfectly reasonable. That's not extortion. Also he tried to return the item so there's no way a jury will convict him of theft or extortion. If the DA had a case he'd been arrested by now espezially after the after the search warrant was executed.

All u apple nerds need to get off Steve's turtlenecked nuts. No one was hurt by any of this qne all u mac nerds got to see ur iPhone early so big deal

 

[mccldwll]

And it could have just as easily been some worthless weird knockoff from china how is he supposed to know.

All this Chen Guy asked apple to do was claim their lost item in writing which is perfectly reasonable. That's not extortion. Also he tried to return the item so there's no way a jury will convict him of theft or extortion. If the DA had a case he'd been arrested by now espezially after the after the search warrant was executed.

All u apple nerds need to get off Steve's turtlenecked nuts. No one was hurt by any of this qne all u mac nerds got to see ur iPhone early so big deal

On Giz's payroll or just "a friend of Chen"?

 

[grs]

And it could have just as easily been some worthless weird knockoff from china how is he supposed to know.

Right. That's why they paid $5000 for it, because they didn't know whether it was an Apple prototype or a Chinese knockoff.

All this Chen Guy asked apple to do was claim their lost item in writing which is perfectly reasonable. That's not extortion.

Read the letter (and it wasn't Chen, it was Brian Lam).

 

[JAT]

And it could have just as easily been some worthless weird knockoff from china how is he supposed to know.

He (both Gizmodo and the actual idiot that found it) seemed to be positive. But that is what the court will decide. No doubt Giz's case hinges on this. (although the damage they caused may change it all, anyway)

All this Chen Guy asked apple to do was claim their lost item in writing which is perfectly reasonable. That's not extortion. Also he tried to return the item so there's no way a jury will convict him of theft or extortion. If the DA had a case he'd been arrested by now espezially after the after the search warrant was executed.

Uh, that's what I said. Are attempting to contradict me by paraphrasing me?

All u apple nerds need to get off Steve's turtlenecked nuts. No one was hurt by any of this qne all u mac nerds got to see ur iPhone early so big deal

LOL! Might want to check out the CA laws, dude. And find a website where you won't be buried in "apple nerds".