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Apple Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Gawker
- cpach 17y agoThe title submitted to HN is incorrect. There is no confirmation in the letter. (See mootothemax' comment.)
- cpach 17y agoTitle fixed now. Thanks!
- mootothemax 17y agoThe quotes say no such thing! Apparently this is evidence: While Apple values and appreciates vibrant public commentary about its products, we believe you and your company have crossed the line by offering a bounty for the theft of Apple's trade secrets. Such an offer is illegal and Apple insists that you immediately discontinue the Scavenger Hunt. Confirms absolutely nothing but that Apple has trade secrets. The information you are willing to pay for, such as photos of a yet-to-be released product, constitutes Apple trade secrets. Confirms nothing but that Apple has products that are yet-to-be-released. Apple has maintained the types of information and things you are soliciting—"how it'll work, its size, the name, the software," as well as any possible details about the product's appearance, features, and physical samples—in strict confidence." Confirms absolutely nothing yet again! Seriously, these trade secrets could be for an iPhone upgrade, a new iMac or a set of new and oh-so-trendy headphones!
- kylec 17y agoAccordingly, Apple demands that Gawker Media immediately discontinue this program and retract the offer to pay for photos, video, or samples of Apple's unannounced product. This line seems to confirm that the tablet is an "unannounced product."
- SamAtt 17y agoIt's not a secret that Apple has been working on a Tablet for years (many of the iPhone's innovations have their origins in those attempts). So prototypes exist. The question is whether Apple is ready to release an actual product. Ask yourself this: If there is an Apple tablet do you really think Michael C. Spillner IP lawyer is in the "inner circle" that has knowledge of it? Or is it more likely that it makes no difference to Apple because smacking down these efforts makes it clear that Apple won't put up with leaks on any product.
- telemachos 17y agoFrom the linked article: > Sure, it could be a note protesting the scavenger hunt in principle, speaking to any and all confidential knowledge of any unreleased Apple product, but this scavenger hunt is purely for Tablet evidence. And, do companies send C&Ds for non existent devices? Not in our experience. The emphasis is mine.
- deleted 17y ago[deleted]
- Lazlo_Nibble 17y agoThe C&D is not for a "device", the C&D is for an act: bribing people to violate their agreements with Apple. If the $100k bounty had been offered for secret information about a released Apple product, it would have been C&D'd just as quickly.
- DannoHung 17y agoAnd yet, everyone knows it's a Tablet, so they've really given away nothing.
- cakesy 17y agoMaybe not. If someone had a bounty for Apples next unicorn, does that count as a trade secret worthy of a letter from Apple's lawyers.
- Mystalic 17y agoIs it actual confirmation? No. Is it the closest thing to confirmation yet? Yes, but it's about as useful as having a canister of gasoline to put out a fire.
- mattmaroon 17y agoThey will actually be my heroes if they did this and there is no tablet.
- randallsquared 17y agoGiven the stock hit they'll take after participating in running up expectations, it seems that being your hero is expensive... :)
- jm4 17y agoI don't know if I'd go so far as to say this is confirmation of a tablet, but it is certainly suggestive. It seems like they're much more concerned about a bounty for trade secrets than a leak about any particular product, though. In any case, that's probably the most friendly C&D I've ever seen.
- shaddi 17y agoUndoubtedly. This was a cordial and informative C&D, and in my opinion quite justified. Regardless of what someone thinks of trade secrets, Gawker is quite obviously inducing breach of contract here. I guess it's good buzz for Gawker though, which I suppose is how they make their money.
- noodle 17y agowouldn't that be an interesting way to test the market for an undeveloped product idea? "hey, maybe we should make a tablet. lets tell some people to leak the fact that we're working on one and see how people react. if reactions are good, lets build it."
- icefox 17y agoExcept a good tablet would take a few years to make...
- noodle 17y agoif it really is just a big iphone, though, would it really take that long? a good bit of the technology is already established, both hardware and software.
- cakesy 17y agoFor dell or HP, no. They don't even need to design the thing, get HTC or someone else to do it, wack on Windows 7, start selling it for 30% extra. For Apple, it takes a long time.
- houseabsolute 17y agoThis is one of the few cases where I wouldn't mind seeing a big company file and win a lawsuit against a smaller one. These guys have no respect and they really have gone too far with this.
- karzeem 17y agoWhen I heard about the contest, my initial reaction was that it's a clever move for Gawker, both for publicity and to actually get what they want. But apparently, they could easily be sued for this. It's called tortious interference. They're off the hook if the prospective bounty winner hasn't broken any contracts, but I don't imagine anyone could ever see the iNigma and leave Apple alive without signing an NDA.
- vijayr 17y agoYes, they could be sued. They might even take the contest down. But the real win for Gawker here is the publicity. Just look at how many links they've gotten to the story and the buzz, however short lived it is. It doesn't matter if they go ahead with the contest or pull it down. Either way, they get what they want - some buzz, link juice and some publicity.
- ableal 17y agoIn other words, "YHBT, HAND" ...
- wallflower 17y agoRemember Gizmodo's CES stunt/prank in 2008? They seem to have only increased in influence and reach. The one where they used Tv-B-gone to kill power to tens if not hundreds of TVs, leaving exhibitors freaking out. http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone/index?a=2008/1/gizmodo-stunt-fallout-lam-banned-from-ces http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone/index?a=2008/1/gizmodo...
- metra 17y agoIsn't it all but officially confirmed already?
- pdubroy 17y agoAll you need to know about this can be found here: http://isthetabletout.com http://isthetabletout.com
- pramit 17y agothis too http://bighow.com/news/10-things-you-must-know-about-apple-tablet-and-tablet-computers http://bighow.com/news/10-things-you-must-know-about-apple-t...
- RyanMcGreal 17y agoSo does Apple get the reward?
- wheels 17y agoBonus points to Orrick for writing a really straightforward notice absent the usual heavy-handed stuff you see in cease and decist letters.
- dolinsky 17y agoThe conclusion that Gawker comes to as a result of this CnD is a logical fallacy. Specifically, an Appeal to Probability http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_probability http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_probability (regarding the following quote): Sure, it could be a note protesting the scavenger hunt in principle, speaking to any and all confidential knowledge of any unreleased Apple product, but this scavenger hunt is purely for Tablet evidence. And, do companies send C&Ds for non existent devices? Not in our experience.