Gawker outwits Apple and gets them to confirm the Apple Tablet
It seems that Gawker may have gotten Apple to confirm the existence of the Apple Tablet via legal threats.
While the blogosphere is scrambling to figure out if the Apple Tablet/iSlate product actually exists, it appears that Gawker Media may have figured out a way to get Apple to confirm it through the company’s lawyers.
On Jan. 13, Valleywag, the Silicon Valley gossip rag of the Gawker empire, issued a bounty to anyone that could provide them with photographic proof of the iSlate. The challenge read:
- $10,000 for bona fide pics
- $20,000 for video of one in action
- $50,000 for pictures of video of Steve Jobs holding one
- $100,000 to let us play with one for an hour
It was a cute idea, but seemed unlikely that anyone would step up to claim the bounty considering Apple’s notoriously litigious lawyers. Even though Valleywag guaranteed anonymity, it would still be a huge risk for anyone to take.
On Jan. 14, Valleywag announced that the first prize in the scavenger hunt was being awarded to Apple’s legal team.
Huh?
Valleywag had received a letter from Apple’s lawyers informing the publication that its scavenger hunt was illegal. Here is the key portion:
The information you are willing to pay for, such as photos of a yet-to-be-released product, constitutes Apple trade secrets. Apple invests substantial time and money in the development of its new products, which remain unannounced and proprietary to Apple.
If there is no iSlate, how could there be photos of “a yet-to-be-released product”? If there is no iSlate, how could Apple have invested “substantial time and money in the development” of a non-existent product?
Sure, this could just be a general warning not to do this type of thing, but the wording is very specific, and it sure seems to confirm the existence of such a product coming from Apple.
Did a gossip rag just outwit one of the most famously secret companies in the world?
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January 15th, 2010
If so, that’s smart lol
January 18th, 2010
my response would be to the lawyers. “TAKE ME TO COURT THEN”. The fact that the lawyers would comment much less send out a letter proves they have some balls. I’d really like to know if it would hold up in court. Say someone sends in a picture but you dont publish it and just claim someone won the prize. No one knows if im lying or not. So no harm could come to your overpriced secretive crapware. Freedom of speech says i can say what i want and leave it up to people to believe me or not. As long as i dont slander you or impact your business. If that was the case.. there would be a lot of litigation going on over spy photos of the next 2015 BMW, Mercedes or any other products. Cr/Apple needs to get a grip on reality. Sheesh1