Apple Shrinks iPod, Shirks Legal Obligation

Apple makes some beautiful products like its new <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/" target="_blank">iPod Nano</a>, but its behavior can be ugly. Thanks to the efforts of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, we can now see <a href="http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_09.php#003976" target="_blank">documents</a> that pertain to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=159401727" target="_blank">Apple's legal crusade to find out who leaked its alleged trade secrets

Thomas Claburn, Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

September 14, 2005

1 Min Read
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Apple makes some beautiful products like its new iPod Nano, but its behavior can be ugly. Thanks to the efforts of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, we can now see documents that pertain to Apple's legal crusade to find out who leaked its alleged trade secrets.

Judging by the documents, Apple appears to be more interested in intimidating reporters than in identifying the person or persons responsible for spilling its supposed secrets.

Robin Zonic, the senior manager of investigations in the corporate security department at Apple, testified that he and a colleague interviewed 25 people who had received a computer file believed to be the source of the information. That's not exactly casting a wide net -- the company has more than 13,000 employees. As the EFF notes, "It never took depositions, never issued subpoenas (other than to the journalists), and never asked for signed declarations or information under oath from its own employees."

This is significant because the law requires that Apple conduct an exhaustive search before trying to subpoena journalists.

Perhaps it's naive to expect better behavior from a company that once urged its users to "Think Different." But wouldn't it be something if businesses lived up to their friendly, feel-good marketing messages?

About the Author

Thomas Claburn

Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

Thomas Claburn has been writing about business and technology since 1996, for publications such as New Architect, PC Computing, InformationWeek, Salon, Wired, and Ziff Davis Smart Business. Before that, he worked in film and television, having earned a not particularly useful master's degree in film production. He wrote the original treatment for 3DO's Killing Time, a short story that appeared in On Spec, and the screenplay for an independent film called The Hanged Man, which he would later direct. He's the author of a science fiction novel, Reflecting Fires, and a sadly neglected blog, Lot 49. His iPhone game, Blocfall, is available through the iTunes App Store. His wife is a talented jazz singer; he does not sing, which is for the best.

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