“In its latest lawsuit seeking to clamp down on leaks, Apple Computer has added credibility to several hot rumors, including plans to offer a cheaper Macintosh and its own line of office software,” Ina Fried reports for CNET News. “Apple on Tuesday sued the publisher of Mac enthusiast site Think Secret and other unnamed individuals, alleging that recent postings on the site contain Apple trade secrets, according to court documents seen by CNET News.com.”
“The suit, filed Tuesday in the Superior Court of Santa Clara County, Calif., aims to identify who is leaking the information and to get an injunction preventing further release of trade secrets. However, in filing the suit, Apple identifies specific articles that contain trade secrets, indicating that at least parts of those reports are on the mark,” Fried reports. “In its suit, Apple specifically lists certain articles that contain confidential information, though it does not confirm which of the article’s details are true. For example, when mentioning the report that Apple plans a ‘G4-based iMac without display,’ Apple says the article ‘disclosed numerous confidential details regarding the technical capabilities of Apple’s unreleased computer product as well as Apple’s confidential marketing plans.'”
Fried reports, “Similar confirmation is offered regarding iWork, which Think Secret said on Dec. 31 would be a suite of office software combining the company’s Keynote presentation program with a new document creation application called Pages… The suit illustrates the challenges Apple faces in trying to keep its products secret. In order to maintain trade secret protection, companies have to vigorously try to plug leaks. However, in trying to identify the leaks, Apple has at times lent credence to the rumors it wishes to squelch.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: A great article with many details. Read the full article over at CNET. Apparently, according to Fried’s report, Apple has gone to great lengths to try to stop the leaks through ThinkSecret, sending ThinkSecret a “a number of letters” through their lawyers in recent years, only to have ThinkSecret ignore Apple’s demands, according to Apple, as reported by Fried ( better safe, than sorry 
). Let’s see if a rumormill currently running in Macworld Expo overdrive can be safely downshifted so quickly. Will Jobs’ Macworld Expo Keynote Presentation please just hurry up and happen already?!
Related MacDailyNews articles:
IGG Software changes name of ‘iWork’ to ‘iBiz’ – clearing the way for Apple’s iWork? – January 03, 2005
Enderle: Rumored $500 Apple Mac ‘should be a media server, not a general purpose PC’ – January 03, 2005
When fictional ‘US$499 Headless iMac’ doesn’t materialize, the disappointment could hurt Apple – January 01, 2005
Rumored $500 ‘Headless Mac’ could double Mac market share, boost share price – January 01, 2005
RUMOR: Apple to debut ‘iWork ’05’ productivity suite at Macworld Expo – January 01, 2005
Analyst: Budget $499 Mac doesn’t make sense for Apple Computer – December 31, 2004
Apple’s rumored $500 ‘Headless Mac’ more wishful thinking than fact? – December 31, 2004
Quick glances back at 2004 and ahead to 2005 – Happy New Year from MacDailyNews! – December 31, 2004
Apple’s next great idea: gearing up to take a big bite out of the mass computer market – December 30, 2004
Rumored ‘Headless iMac’ would be radical departure from Apple’s usual high margin strategy – December 30, 2004
Piper Jaffray: ‘Headless iMac would appeal to many potential Windows to Mac switchers’ – December 30, 2004
Headless iMac for $499? Please, Apple, let it be true! – December 29, 2004
RUMOR: Apple to debut $499 ‘headless iMac’ at Macworld Expo on January 11 – December 29, 2004
Inexpensive ‘Headless iMac’ could hook Windows users who love their iPods on Mac OS X – December 29, 2004
No way these sites should disclose sources – then there will never again be any sources leaking/releasing information.
And remember this doesn’t mean that these products will be launched by Apple. Even if they say “unreleased computer product”, it might just mean it’s in development, but won’t be released.
Rumors will continue to flourish, no doubt. Sites might have to be a bit more careful about how they get them though…
When an employee is hired at Apple, they sign a confidentiality agreement saying they will not divulge company information. If they have broken contract and spoken with ThinkSecret, then ThinkSecret should divulge who these people are. It is that simple.
edgeknight:
Why are we so impatient? Because it’s something to be impatient about. It’s uncertain, it’s rumors, it’s something that isn’t true yet but still is more entertaining than our dull imagination. Impatiency is exiting, knowledge is boring.
Not Steve Jobs:
Your argument is like saying that Bob Novak should reveal that it was Dick-head Cheney who gave him Valerie Plame’s name. Yeah, right.
Apple must cultivate this product interest not knock it out.
It get everyone excited about what SJ is going to announce. When did anyone last care what Balmer had to say !!
Even the UK broadsheets are talking up the roumors of a low cost heeadless Mac.
It’s all great fun.
I wonder if ThinkSecret and their mystery source could just start using pig latin whenever refering to Apple and it’s products. We’d all still know what they mean!
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It’s Phil Schiller! Blame Canada!!
Ray, not to burst your bubble, but corporations don’t (yet) have the ability to take away your freedom. What Apple is doing is protecting their property. Jeez, this ain’t All the President’s Men, and Think Secret ain’t Woodward and Bernstein. Think Secret doesn’t have any claim to information that Apple has provided to others under an NDA, but Apple does have a right to ask the courts to compel Think Secret to either assist in finding the person or persons who are violating the NDA or pay the price for not complying. An analogous situation: If you had a house that someone keeps vandalizing, and some neighbor knew who is doing it and wouldn’t tell you or the police, getting a court to subpoena the neighbor to testify (with penalties if they refuse to testify or suborn perjury) wouldn’t be considered outside the scope of possible actions.
Why does ThinkSecret anyway mention Apple in their reports? They could say “a leading computer manifacturer” and everybody would know it was Apple, while Apple would have a harder job conviencing a court that it is their secrets revealed.
There is a good change that TS *Think Secret does not even know who it’s own sources are.
If I was giving secret apple info to TS, I would hide my identity 100%. Use a public isp, or call from a payphone and change my voice. Yadadada.
The problem with these leaks is that it creates a bit of paranoia within the company which is not a good thing. So whoever is responsible for these leaks if you’re reading this and you love the company you’re working for, please stop.
This message has been brought to you by the Alliance of Concerned Consumers of Apple Products.
You know, I go back and forth on this. I totally understand Apple’s right to not disclose that 3 weeks after I buy a $3000 product, a much more valuable one will be available to me for less. If I knew that I’d not buy the older product and Apple would lose a sale on soon to be discounted technology. That said, it is Apple’s job to make sure I do not find that out, not the legal system. I depend on whatever news I can to best inform me what and when to buy a product. If it comes from a rumour site then I have to weigh how much I choose to believe it. If it’s a press release, I’m sorry but I still feel I need to weigh how much I believe it. If they announced a rumour that turned out to NOT be true and which it can be shown that it damaged Apple, then I guess I say Apple should go ahead and sue if they want. But if they sue because a rumour IS true then it’s not a rumour, it’s fact. If a reporter or site reports a fact then that’s freedom of the press. There is a reason the press is allowed to report things even if a government or company doesn’t feel it best serves their purposes. There’s a reason why it isn’t the responsibility of the press to divulge it’s sources. Of course I can’t blame Apple for trying either. It’s not like they are lobbying for an amendment banning rumour sites… they are just suing.
Regarding the low-end Mac rumour, people should bare this in mind: Sony is going to release a G5 based PS3 in the next 12 months or so for a price of around $500, and as we know it is a PC in everything but name. Likewise the Nintendo GameCube and MS XBox.
It’s certainly well within the bounds of probability that Apple will release a stripped down G5 Mac sans monitor for around the same price.
But to be successful with the PC enthusiast crowd, it must be capable of having most components, and in particular the graphics system, upgradable with commodity stock-standard components from the major players (or preferably almost anyone’s components capable of using the chipset manufacturers standard Mac firmware/drivers). But such a move would put the G5 iMac in a difficult position, would it not? Unless the next update of the iMac introduces end user graphics upgrades.
But Aryugaetu says very clearly that there is no low-cost Macintosh and that its all nonsense – clearly someone is lying or wrong.
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that may be correct. but even using an anonymous tip, Apple may have the resources, subpoena Service Providers and other tricks to track down who done it. TS on the other hand don’t want to know.
Good for Apple. It’s about time.
Everyone is between a rock and a hard spot on this. Apple can, should, and is required to defend its’ trade secrets. The “press” as we like to think of ourselves want the freedom to report “what is” and what isn’t.
In this scenario, Apple is protecting its turf, impeding freedom of speech, AND getting some great PR pre-release announcements that will have everyone thinking “Apple and Mac” for months to come.
Here’s a view of the above. 30-minutes worth. Please don’t leave trade secrets as comments, though:
click here
Apple pulls a hat trick, freedom of speech suffers, the Mac maker gets a lot of publicity for a new product even before it’s announced.
We live in interesting times.
Tera Patricks
Mac360
I think Bill Palmer’s going to have a red face in a week.
He’s entitled to his opionion of course, but why does he rant so?
Just get a load of his verbal diarrhoea at:
http://www.billpalmer.net/
Steve has been throwing a hissy-fit for the last few days, throwing Monsters AG and Toy Story dolls around his office (broke Woody�s arm even), stamping his feet, and screaming really loud, “But I wanted to be the first to announce the mysteryMac!!! Me! Me! Me!”
And then he convened a staff meeting and told us all, “Forget it, the secret is out so now I am not going to bring out the mysteryMac after all. I will teach them all a big lesson” And then he stuck out his tongue, crossed his arms and said, “So there!”. And then he stuck in his iPod ear buds from his personally autographed U2 iPod, turned the the U2 music up real loud and sulked for the rest of the afternoon.
—From a real Apple Insider…
Charko, Palmer’s opinions are just that, but he does present a good argument for the suit…the expectations are there for a headless Mac and if it doesn’t show up, how do you think your stock will do? Apple’s stock will take a drop, and Apple doesn’t want that. I agree with Gandalf, I don’t think Apple gives a rip about the rumor sites until the mainstream press starts running the stories as facts. That’s when Apple starts looking at their stock value and starts to worry.
First, Apple has every right to try to determine who is leaking information–yes, that includes lawsuits. And Think Secret may defend itself in that this information provides useful information to the public. If Think Secret divulges it’s sources because of an Apple lawsuit, fewer people will be willing to provide information. Conversely, Think Secret is protecting a person who is breaking the law.
Frankly, it’s up to a judge to determine whether the public’s right to know outweighs Apple’s right to trade secrets. It will be interesting to see whether or not the folks at Think Secret will fight this or not.
Knock, Knock.
“Who’s there?” (says A real Apple insider)
“Apple Legal with your summons.”
Nah, you are all wrong. Somebody high up in Apple is dropping secrets about Apple. Probably somebody that is quitting or getting fired real soon. Probably some compensation is having to be paid to this person for when the leave.
Steve (paranoid as most CEOs are) wants to build a case against this person so Apple won�t have to pay a termination compensation.
Just something along those lines and as simple as that.
Check out the the new “Time” magazine with the new headless Mac on the cover that comes out tomorrow.
I think Steve would flatline.
MDN and all of us should be ashamed that we are sucking leeches for Apple info that we are
Apple survives by innovation, if they stopped Apple would die.
This entails keeping one’s mouth shut so competitors can’t get a quick jump and allow Apple time to make money on it’s R&D.
We, by OUR VERY OWN FEVER is killing what we love.
control ourselves please!
YOU DONT SEE MANY APPLE ADS ON RUMOR SITES!!!
“Check out the the new “Time” magazine with the new headless Mac on the cover that comes out tomorrow.”
Or write a script that continually loads the pages for the iMac & eMac from the Apple Store and looks for any changes.
(Remember a few years ago when the specs ended up on the Apple Store for the G5(?) because somebody was testing something?)