Apple rumor site Think Secret has published a brief press release which follows verbatim:
Apple, Think Secret settle lawsuit
December 20, 2007 – PRESS RELEASE: Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides. As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret’s publisher, said “I’m pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.”
Source: http://thinksecret.com/news/settlement.html
MacDailyNews Note: Apple on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 sued the publisher of Think Secret and other unnamed individuals, alleging that recent postings on the site contain Apple trade secrets, including reports of a “Headless Mac,” “iWork,” and other rumors.
RIP Think Secret
Apple getting what they want and TS getting shut down is “a positive solution for both sides”?
RIP ‘RICH’ Think Secret.
they were pretty much always wrong over the last couple of years anyway, 9to5mac seems to have the closest rumors these days
What serves Apple better? Rumors that are false but raise the expectations or rumors that are accurate? Positive for Apple is the surprise momentum if Steve shows something that nobody expected and wasn’t talked about. Negative if the expectations are too high and people are disappointed. Or, if nobody cares anymore.
On the advice of my lawyers I have no comment.
The publisher is from Central New York. That’s a secret.
Losing TS is not a loss at all. I hadn’t read his stuff in at least a year. With RoughlyDrafted and thesmallwave around, there’s plenty of interesting reading available.
Well, I’m looking forward to “Think Outloud”.
The positive solution for the TS side is that he has probably got the rest of his college fund. Cheap result for Apple as a full trial would have only made the lawyers rich. Given that an earlier judge ruled bloggers protected by the US Constitution, I think it is a result.
Well this sucks. Think Secret was the most reliable Mac rumour site and it was well written. What am I supposed to read now, Mac OS Rumors?
Good for Think Secret for not revealing their sources!
Bod for Apple for shutting them down!
The secrecy behind Apple and the rumor mill they allow (if not foster) is part of Apple/Mac culture. The rumor mill has generated millions of dollars worth of free advertising for Apple. But when they are too close or too right, they get slapped down like this? Poor form Apple!
It’s positive because they didn’t have to reveal their sources.
It sets a dangerous journalistic precedent if the accusing party can intimidate a publisher into closing down on the strength of a mostly true story.
I will miss Think Secret. Godspeed Nick De Plume.
Good riddance to old trash. They were unreliable and making crap up ever since the lawsuit. They lost their inside sources.
Too bad.. ;(
Think Secret was always the silent rumor-site, which only spoke up, when it knew something.
Rofl! – “I’m pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.”
So, he is happy that Apple has pulled the plug on his mac news wedbsite??
Talk about spin!
They guy must be a moron to think that this was settled amicably, lets face it, he HAD NO CHOICE. He was revealing secrets that he had no legal right to reveal.
Reading between the lines of his “happy statement”, I get the impression he is trying to save face and in reality he is deeply upset that his ‘little website’ has been closed down by Apple.
The term ‘bullshit’ comes to mind…
He will go back to college and join the ‘real’ world, best thing for him imo – get an education, training and a job and be a respectable member of the US economy.
Apple did him a favor.
What is it about this that we don’t know? Will we ever know?
I smell payola. Big payola. As in Steve’s bank balance is lower today that it was yesterday.
Facing the Constitution in front of a jury of free Americans was not something his Steveness wanted to risk.
I believe in Free Speech. Unfortunately, when it comes to the law and rights, “might” usually rules. The loss of any provider of information to help the little guy make better informed decisions is to be regretted. Thanks, Nick, though I hardly read ya.
“They guy must be a moron to think that this was settled amicably…”
Why are you under the impression that anything in a press release is anything other than spin?
“He will go back to college and join the ‘real’ world, best thing for him imo…”
Why are you under the impression that you know anything about what is good for his life? Do you know whether maintaining thinksecret.com detracted from his studies or ability to do other work after college?
As the Economy Churns…
Hahaha… of course the guy is happy. He could probably retire from the payout.
He deserves it. The website is very well done and the information is usually pretty awesome.
The CDC’s “Think Secretion” has much juicier rumors. It’s a bit too graphic though.