Apple Dealt Setback In Suit Against Online Journalists

profdlp

The term "traditional journalist" is looking more and more like an anachronism these days.

A California appellate court on Friday denied Apple Computer's bid to identify the people who leaked product information to Mac enthusiast sites, ruling that the state reporter's shield law protected bloggers and online reporters as well as traditional journalists.

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The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which filed a petition on behalf of the journalists, called the decision a "victory for the rights of journalists, whether online or offline, and for the public at large."

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In ruling against Apple, the judges wrote, "We can think of no workable test or principle that would distinguish 'legitimate' from 'illegitimate' news."

Source: TechWeb

Leonardo

I think the appellate court got it right!

Thrax

I think so too.

muddocktor

Me three.

Apple can go play with themselves if they think strongarm tactics like this actually get any positive results. That kind of crap just makes me want to stay even further away from having to deal with them and any of their products.

profdlp

While I have no sympathy for those who leak private information (if that is indeed what happened here), Apple's claim that people who write for Internet sites are somehow less worthy of protection as journalists than those who write for the dead tree media is ridiculous.

It's a new world today and they need to get used to it. "Think different", perhaps?

airbornflght

I dont see what they are worried about leaking info anyway, its always happened, always will. I dont see why it would hurt them, if anything, it probably hypes up their products, which we all know that is the last thing that needs to be done to their products.

So Thrax, as the new CEO of Apple Corp, would you like to make any comment?