Court rules against Apple in Trade Secrets Case

A Californian court has ruled that online reporters are protected by the same laws that protect print journalists, striking a blow against effort of Apple Inc to identify the people who leaked confidential data of the company on net.

The respective court also ruled that online and offline journalists were equally protected under the 1st amendment to the US constitution. It further stated that the notice issued by the Apple to obtain its secret electronic files from ISP provider was unenforceable.

Later, Apple valiantly defied its point that web sites publishing news reports about Apple Inc were not engaged in fair news gathering but were revealing trade secrets and clearly violating copyrights. But the panel of three judges simply nullified this point.

”Apple is a US based enterprise, it does not fall outside the shield of US law.” the ruling states.

If this ruling is upheld, it could cast a deep impact on online writers, who publish electronically, including blogger who regularly post their short stories, news articles, without the backing of a mainstream news operation.

”This ruling is instrumental in protecting the rights of thousands of writers for electronic media” said Kurl Opsahi, a lawyer with civil liberties, who argued the case in appeals court last month. “It reads that what makes a reporter is not the format (online or offline) but the function”

Apple declined to comment on this ruling for the possibility of filing an appeal in upper court.