Police Raid Gizmodo Editor's Home Over iPhone 4G

[jkay69]

@Zachary k

I'm not an Apple Fanboy by any stretch of the imagination but I think your logic is flawed.

If I leave my phone in a bar I have a reasonable assumption that It's still my property, leagally, emotionally and actually. I would like to think that whoever finds it will do the "right" thing and hand it in so that I can collect it on my return.

It is a sad time that we live in where if you lose something then it is fair game for whoever finds it, where is the common decency and moral responsibility that should bring someone to hand it in or attempt to return it to it's rightfull owner?

Sadly it's every man/woman for themselves these days.

I believe the police are being seriously heavy handed in this matter and feel that a more amicable solution could have been found but then again I don't know all the details so I don't know if Jason Chen was approached first and refused to help, I don't know if the police felt this was the only option available to them. I know they were able to convince a judge that it was the right thing to do so perhaps it was.

It was wrong of the person who found the phone to take it without attempting to return it, It was wrong for him to sell it on (He obviously knew it was an important piece of tech or was informed of that fact at some point as he sold it to a Tech site) It was wrong of Gizmodo to publish the details of the phone in great detail. After this returning the phone makes little differance, the damage is done as far as Apple is concerned.

The guy who "Found" the phone is technically a thief who also sold "Stolen" goods, he should be found and brought to justice.

The Person who bought the phone and the organisation they work for purchased "Stolen" goods and published Trade Secrets in great detail over the internet for the whole world to see, including Apple competitors. Gizmodo and the person who bought the phone should be brought to justice.

This will at least show any citizens and publishers what happens if they choose to follow this path in the future.

If it was my product involved I would be pressing for justice, wouldn't you?

 

[Guest]

In civil case, apple could drop it, but this is a (potential) criminal case. if DA/police find it worth to investigate, to do it, apple can't do anything.

And why is this case important? Publicity is one thing (for the DA/Police), of course, but in this case, we have seen a lot of misunderstanding in the public on lost/stolen property law, and not the mention the journalist thing. If they do nothing, now i get an impression buying stolen merchandise is okay ---- as long as you write a story about it. Or if i find anything worthy on the ground, i keep it, make some "attempt" to contact the owner and i am then safe to sell the good legally. you get the idea.

 

[r3t4rd]

[citation][nom]Honis[/nom]The guy who found it in the bar sold it to Gizmodo instead of making an attempt to contact the owner. [/citation]

[citation][nom]dannyaa[/nom]filmman03,1.) They didn't know who the original owner is? LOL!! Who is this Gray Powell that they write all about than? You know, the OWNER. Or how about Apple? The phone was labeled! Besides that, you don't have to know who the original owner is, you have to make reasonable attempts to find and return it to the original owner.[/citation]
Didn't the original finder of the fone tried to contact Apple by calling them and explaining to Apple of the product...and several times too? - only to get a ticket from Apple? Then when things hit the Internet....Apple comes jumping in and says "Oh...its ours"?

To me this sounds like Apple was contacted regardless if it wasn't Mr. Gray or not - Apple was contacted and a ticket exists to prove that contact (Knowing apple, all traces of that call and ticket to Apple is probably gone). With that anything that happened there after was moot.

Steve Jobs probably threw a hissy prissy fit and used his tenacles to do the raid.

Lastly, "dannyyaa"...all your statements are ludicrous and sounds like you probably work for, bleed, and worship Apple.

 

[Guest]

Can you imagine if Jason Chen backs up his computers to MOBY or some other service like MS, that they'd have to raid all of those computers as well?
Apple should have sent a higher up representative to Chen's house, thanked him for the phone, let him know this was proprietary information, and to not disclose anything else.
Supposedly the day after the phone was noticed missing, they Bricked it, so I'm not sure how much value any data on it there would have been. So then what were the police looking for, photos? They were already on the net.

 

[may1]

Ah....
now Jobs can't do his ridiculous announcement of new apple products....

 

[besterino]

Anyone ever considered why they took all his computers and servers? Ever thought about that it might not only about the physical hardware (and information that was published already)? What if he had more detailed information about the device that would be really valuable for the competition (and, for example, was offering such info for sale)?

Fact is, we don't know all the facts. There may be justification for the raid or not, but only time and the legal guys will be able to tell.

 

[evilsizer]

The upside is that Jason Chen can now enjoy his new Droid and Win7 PC. It even plays Crysis.

 

[Guest]

I can't believe this is turning into international news - I have just heard the story on the Israeli radio - as if there aren't better things to report around here... I hope they sort it out - this is not all black and white and all parties involved acted quite tasteless in my opinion but I hope that Jason Chen will not be prosecuted - the real IDIOT is the guy who took a prototype out of the lab to use as his phone or the IDIOT who gave the phone to him - that was/is/shall remain a big mistake - if something is secrete then keep it a secrete... as if the worker who had the prototype didn't show it off to his friends at that bar... of course he did - so why not prosecute everyone who had seen it - and rip their eyes off as a punishment? Apple seems to be that "get medieval on yo ass" kind of company and it is causing itself to look bad in my eyes at least... because it was their mistake that started this in the first place - DON'T GIVE SECRETS TO PEOPLE WHO GO TO BARS

 

[jamie_macdonald]

iv'e never seen apple hype that so apropriate before, as far as i'm concerned the more they act like themselves (twats) then the sooner we will be rid of a stupidly arrogant company and clientel.... no loss

 

[cbrei10213]

[citation][nom]Santimun[/nom]Does anyone else here feel that Apple and Microsoft have kinda switched personalties lately?[/citation]

Hahaha, yes yes yes. I keep thinking of that that comercial from the 80s where the lady comes in a smashes the big TV but on the TV now should be Jobs, and a big ass windows logo is throwing the hammer.

 

[akhodjaev]

I hate apple

 

[LORD_ORION]

Pretty obvious was apple is trying to prove. That the engineer was bribed before hand to "lose" the device.

Now what I want to see is what proof they had to convince a judge to pursue this.

If there is no reasonable evidence to support the warrant, and the property is protected journalism... there needs to be some kind of campaign to politicians that allowing this kind of shit to go unchecked will get you fired.

Not every individual has the legal resources to fight off the state and big corporations abusing the rules. It just happens that this guy does. I imagine this guy's life would be over if his company didn't back him up.

 

[eccentric909]

[citation][nom]danimal_the_animal[/nom]the economy is already screwed upwhats one more employee......at least obama will get him 2 years of FREE unemployment checks!!!![/citation]

WTF does Obama have to do with this?

You do know as well, we all pay into unemployement insurance and so does the company you work for. It isn't just "government funded".

 

[Chetou]

Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team

OMG, really?

I have to say that again:

Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team

LOL!

 

[liquidchild]

Is no one going to call bullshit? I mean XFX just did it, we all know Jobs cant form an original idea if a gun was at his head. I say it was for the media.

 

[Guest]

Hey Steve remember the 1984 big brother commercial? What happened to that company?...you've turned into exactly what you used to hate...actually your worse.

 

[jgiron]

what crime did that person to commit to have his house and items searched? I see an multitude of lawsuits here and I hope the national news gets hold of this and shines the spot light on this in justice. This is a definite violation of free of press and Apple Mafia (instead of using a horses head they'll use a penguin and put the blame on LINUX).

 

[filmman03]

[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]Apple is messed up because they didn't fire an employee who accidentally left his phone at a bar the night of his birthday? You are a heartless bastard if you think the kid should be fired.[/citation]
yes i am a hearless bastard who thinks apple should fire the guy who left a PROTOTYPE of an UNRELEASED IPHONE at a bar.

o wait, what about the guy who showed Steve Woz the iPad 3G at midnight after the release of the iPad??? that's right, Apple fired him because he should the Co-Owner of Apple the 3G version of the iPad.

roflcakes.

 

[momomiester]

Apple just trying to boast sales for their new Iphone app.. I-bail.

Seriously, I suggest we aquire an I-phone 4g. Take it to Syria were under water boarding and the use of subversive techniques we will get all the secrets from the new device. Then we can publicly remove it's battery with live video to show the cause we are not afraid of the great satan apple company!

 

[buddhist2k]

What law was broken that warranted the search and siezure of his equipment? here's a big F**K YOU to Apple! I seriously feel this is unjustified and unconstitutional. i smell another lawsuit against Apple! I am all for it!