Gizmodo Iphone drama: Journalist's house raided

**mattjmcd** · 04-28-10, 11:14

Originally Posted by BVickery

Again, prove to me he didn't.

Wait...what? Please note that I was not suggesting that you are wrong personally, but rather that reportage around this incident is anything but conclusive wrt the "finder" contacting Apple in an effort to return this prototype. Did you see where I used the phrase "not calling you out..."? You seem happy to accept as gospel some 3rd hand report that the finder- who likely DID know that he was sitting on a hot potato, as you yourself admit- made a serious effort to return the device and was in fact rebuffed. That *may* have happened, but I've seen no details about who he dealt with at Apple and whether or not those people (at Apple) knew for certain that the finder/stealer/whatever actually had a critical bit of kit in his/her mitts.

And for this issue, they may be regretting he did. This is turning into a HORRIBLE PR nightmare for Apple. Someone once said that there is no such thing as bad PR, they never have dealt with the computer world before, especially in the PC v. Mac world (one of the things Mac tries to portray is NOT being tyrannical and oppressive. They try to portray freedom in all ways, which their actions now crumble to the ground.)

This is not a PC vs. Mac scenario. This is smartphone v. smartphone. This is a fast-moving and high stakes market space that is only tangentially related to the perpetual Mac/PC wars. I can see how ANY firm would get their knickers in a twist over this.

As to the shield law issue, does it apply if the "journalist" was involved in the commission of a crime- ie receiving stolen property? I am not an expert, but I am guessing it does not.

**Left Sig** · 04-28-10, 21:04

The "finder" may have called the Apple customer service line or central corporate phone number and gotten blown off as a prank call.

Who would believe someone "found" a 4G iPhone in a bar? The people that knew it was missing don't answer those phone lines, and they may not have announced it to the entire company "in case anyone calls...".

**mattjmcd** · 04-28-10, 22:22

Originally Posted by Left Sig

The "finder" may have called the Apple customer service line or central corporate phone number and gotten blown off as a prank call.

Who would believe someone "found" a 4G iPhone in a bar? The people that knew it was missing don't answer those phone lines, and they may not have announced it to the entire company "in case anyone calls...".

Precisely. Absent any additional details, I think the "I tried to return it!" defense rings kinda hollow. Especially when he/she then turned around a promptly sold it for $5k or more.