There was more movement on the Apple vs Bloggers case at the end of last week, which David Teather reported on for us:
Santa Clara county superior court judge James Kleinberg said even if the writers were defined as journalists "this is not the equivalent of a free pass". He said the information about Apple's unreleased products "is stolen property, just as any physical item, such as a laptop computer. The bottom line is there is no exception or exemption...for journalists."
"Unlike the whistleblower who discloses a health, safety or welfare hazard affecting all, or the government employee who reveals misman agement or worse by our public officials, [the enthusiast sites] are doing nothing more than feeding the public's insatiable desire for information," the judge wrote.
A statement like that is bound to send a chill down the spine of - especially the technology press, who revel in finding out what the manufacturers are up to.
But I still wonder: what happens if these leaks didn't come from inside Apple, and if the "John Does" weren't subject to Non Disclosure Agreements?
