ThinkSecret Cash Settlement?

[GeekLawyer]

I imagine a low six-figure settlement as a firewall to prevent/contain future entrepreneurs from inducing those at Cupertino to spill the beans.

While an in-court loss by Apple in this case (and yes, I think they would have eventually lost) would not have created binding legal precedent, it would have declared a sort of open season on Apple's trade and other secrets and could have encouraged others to copycat the methods used by ThinkSecret.

It makes some financial sense for Apple to see this go away. And that's a privilege you pay for.

 

[chatin]

We Apple customers, ultimately pay. In the case of IBM vs. SCO, big blue never caved. It may go to corporate culture. Watson Sr., in the 50's, rented computers; so if the customer got out of line, he would just take back the machine!

 

[igazza]

now i feel better

600 thousand odd my guess

 

[fewgraphik]

my plan for 2008

1 - build up a website full of sarcasm-2nd degree-news-talk about apple inc.
2 - wait a bit
3 - take the money

thx steve

 

[juanm]

In other news, John Doe, an assistant product manager at Apple is still missing. An Apple employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, told us that he didn't come to work on Friday

In other news the body of a man in his mid-thirties was found floating in the Bay. Forensic doctors believe his death occured as a result of being strangled with a thin cable, similar to the earbuds cable of the iPod he was found with.

 

[Arcady]

He only started that site because the old MacOSrumors.com was such a POS site. He should thank that guy.

 

[azentropy]

So now we know

So now we know how Apple plans on spending their 15bil in cash reserves...

 

[Arcus]

WHOOOOOOOO CAAAAAAAARES!!!!!!!!!! No **** he got money! Duh! Now for some REAL news please!!!!!!!

QFT. No moar plz

 

[EagerDragon]

What about the Fake Steve Blog site?

I am not sure if he is just looking for more attention, but the fake Steve Blog is stating that Apple offered him 500,000 to shutdown also.

This would not be the first time he tries to get more traffic by claiming stuff that is not true, so I can not be sure.

But if it were to be true, I wonder what is going on at Apple.

 

[daveschroeder]

I am not sure if he is just looking for more attention, but the fake Steve Blog is stating that Apple offered him 500,000 to shutdown also.

This would not be the first time he tries to get more traffic by claiming stuff that is not true, so I can not be sure.

But if it were to be true, I wonder what is going on at Apple.

That is NOT REAL. It's a satiric commentary on the Think Secret situation.

Jeez, people, can't you recognize a joke when you see one?

http://www.applegazette.com/other/fake-steve-jobs-getting-sued-by-apple-is-a-hoax/

http://mariosundar.wordpress.com/2007/12/24/fake-steve-jobs-hoax-clifford-irving-style/

http://valleywag.com/337211/fake-steve-shutdown-drama-explained

http://www.blogowogo.com/blog_article.php?aid=1177432&t=5

 

[Moe]

His lawyer probably got most if not all of the money.

 

[EagerDragon]

That is NOT REAL. It's a satiric commentary on the Think Secret situation.

Jeez, people, can't you recognize a joke when you see one?

http://www.applegazette.com/other/fake-steve-jobs-getting-sued-by-apple-is-a-hoax/

http://mariosundar.wordpress.com/2007/12/24/fake-steve-jobs-hoax-clifford-irving-style/

http://valleywag.com/337211/fake-steve-shutdown-drama-explained

http://www.blogowogo.com/blog_article.php?aid=1177432&t=5

I figured as much as you can see by my post. Yet there was the possibility that there was a grain of truth. 99.9 it is a hoax to get more readership or he is just getting ready to shutdown because he is running out of material.

 

[Darkroom]

after seeing this thread i'm now a firm believer that "page 1" and "page 2" rumors should just be merged

 

[pl,okm]

but guys, wait it is all toiletpaper money!

Don't forget het got dollars, not a real currency! So unless he runs to a store to buy lots of gold, euro's or yens, it is all toiletpaper!

 

[lazyrighteye]

The source was Steve and the reason Apple settled.

 

[Steve W]

Don't any of you follow the Apple news?

I'm guessing around $1M. We might be able to find out when Apple posts their financials and we can dig through their expenditures.

If Apple gave him anything, it was some backdated options....

 

[lazyrighteye]

His lawyer probably got most if not all of the money.

Nah. Apple paid all of his legal fees and he made out like a bandit.
I'd guess it is closer to $1M than $500k.

 

[Virgil-TB2]

I care. Even Apple are using the tactics that belong to major corporations now. (they) Pay shut-up money ...

Just because this kind of made-up talk is exactly the kind of thing that people pass around the "whisper-net" and causes all kinds of trouble ...

It's actually not true.

If this crappy "meme" (OMG I actually used that dumb-ass meaningless word! ), were really true, then Apple would be going around paying "hush-money" to all the blogs and rumour sites (they aren't). The promulgation of this myth is exactly what Daniel Lyons (as FSJ) is attempting with his recent attack piece on Apple and you have not only fallen for it, you're now freely passing it around on your own time.

The kid that ran ThinkSecret was possibly in deep trouble because he attempted to pay for secrets, and entice employees to violate their NDA's. As technical as that violation was and as unlikely as it was to succeed, Apple still had a duty to move forward on this. If there are leakers who violate their NDA's then Apple of course must try to find out who they were. Once they found evidence of enticement, Apple was duty-bound to at least try and stop the kid.

Apple was being nice here, by *not* taking the kid to court (admittedly it's not certain who will win when you do that), and by *not* outing whomever it was that was violating the NDA agreements. The mainstream media and FSJ (true to his Apple hating form), are promoting this as Apple being the big mean company beating up on random bloggers.

Personally, I got the distinct impression that Apple actually likes most of the rumour sites and likes this kid in particular. They bent over backwards not to ruin his life and everything worked out fairly nicely for him.

It's only shills like FSJ that would do their best to make this look like a "bad day for bloggers."

Note:

- The blogger is actually winning here in that he does not have to reveal his source and gets a big check. He shuts down his site, but he was going to do that anyway.

- The real "bad guys" here (the NDA violators if any) are also winning big time in that they get to keep their jobs and money and don't go to jail.

- The biggest loser is Apple in that they never find the leaks and have no precedents to do anything in the future.

 

[EagerDragon]

The source was Steve and the reason Apple settled.

I am sure that Apple does that from time to time to keep up the hipe on some of the products and to see how people feel about some product concepts.

 

[GoodWatch]

Just because this kind of made-up talk is exactly the kind of thing that people pass around the "whisper-net" and causes all kinds of trouble ...

It's actually not true.

How do you know? Were you there? Are you a legal representative of either party? No, I guess not, because you wouldn't post what you did here. You're guessing like we all are. There is just the result, the site is permanently 'off line'. But as it looks now, this was an incident. Let's hope it will stay that way.

 

[DIXIE]

Positvely a rumor

A) Nick is crying all the way to the Bank.

B) Apple has put a "truth potion" in the Office drinking water.

C) MacPro will NOT appear until the Moorestown platform is available in 2008-2009 ..... no more cooling tanks


DIXIE

 

[farmboy]

I disagree

I imagine a low six-figure settlement as a firewall to prevent/contain future entrepreneurs from inducing those at Cupertino to spill the beans.

While an in-court loss by Apple in this case (and yes, I think they would have eventually lost) would not have created binding legal precedent, it would have declared a sort of open season on Apple's trade and other secrets and could have encouraged others to copycat the methods used by ThinkSecret.

It makes some financial sense for Apple to see this go away. And that's a privilege you pay for.

I think Apple would have won, as far up the ladder as the case would go, which isn't far. My legal background is not in that area, but that's my assessment. But you think paying someone (IF THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED---Lawyers and PR firms have made lying and strategic misdirection an art form) a settlement prevents someone else from publishing confidential information? What? More like an inducement for easy cash.

 

[hscottm]

1 - build up a website full of sarcasm-2nd degree-news-talk about apple inc.
2 - wait a bit
3 - take the money

thx steve

beat me to the punch. this is why I am really surprised about a cash settlement. it just gives that more incentive for someone else to pick up where he left off.

stupid thing is, as many have noted, TS didnt have good rumors lately anyway.

btw my list that was going to be similar to few's above was going to add "1b) wait until one random prediction/rumor was correct".

 

[Doctor Q]

I'm guessing around $1M. We might be able to find out when Apple posts their financials and we can dig through their expenditures.

Do they normally itemize the costs of legal settlements? If they do, will we be able to distinguish the lawyer fees from the settlement payment?

 

[lazyrighteye]

The source was Steve and the reason Apple settled.

I am sure that Apple does that from time to time to keep up the hipe on some of the products and to see how people feel about some product concepts.

No doubt.