I don't understand why everybody is trying to quote the law and take strict meaning of it to prove Gizmodo did wrong. All are ignoring the fact that Gizmodo brought it to light, which everybody is really interested to know anyway!
As per the strict letter of law, many of our day to day activities would be wrong too! Considering that there were no deaths or loss of money, and Gizmodo is willing to return it back to Apple, I would give Gizmodo a clear pass!
Ethics matter, i agree. Rule of law matters? I am really not sure, it needs to be considered case by case: Things change over time, new laws come in that make old things illegal. Do i have to accept them blindly or not is a personal decision.
Coming to the point, you did not mention what part of Gizmodo story you think is ethically wrong. Ethics matter, rule of law matters, try our best, learn from mistakes, etc. are kinda universal truths, everybody knows. Say something concrete to the point!
Regardless of rule of law. What Gizmodo/Gawker did looks very unethical, at least to me. To hand-wave and say "people break laws all the time" and "the story was interesting, so it's worth it" are both ex-post-facto rationalizations for something that is, at best, pretty sleazy.
which everybody is really interested to know anyway
Actually, after reading that article and seeing it confirmed that it's a real iPhone prototype, I felt a strong sense of disappointment. There won't be any surprises on this front at Apple's announcement, because of Gizmodo.
As unbearable as it might be, anticipating new Apple gadgets is quite fun. Gizmodo robbed us of the fun. It's a bit like someone shouting "the butler did it!" halfway through a movie. Sure, you wanna know who did it, but not that way.
There won't be any surprises on this front at Apple's announcement, because of Gizmodo.
A slightly tweaked exterior and front facing camera are not remotely surprising. The quadrupled resolution is a much bigger deal; are you as annoyed with Gruber for ruining that?
Good thing you're not the DA. This is not just the letter of the law that was broken. It's the spirit too, and ethics besides. This law is a good law, and its enforcement is good too. The laws we break unknowingly day to day are typically misdemeanor-level offenses that are good only under certain conditions (usually, but not always, the ones under which they are applied).
Please explain where spirit and ethics that are broken in your opinion.
AFAIK, Gizmodo's business is that: gather sources, inform interested people what it can. If we forget letter of law, this is how i see it:
(1) No where i see the proof that it was stolen.
(2) Gizmodo paid the guy some amount to get pictures, etc. and is actually willing to return it to Apple. I still don't see the problem if it gets returned to Apple.
(3) Gizmodo revealed the Apple employee's name to public, which is kinda crossing the line -- but given that a guy recently committed suicide for such a fault, i give Gizmodo a pass.
but given that a guy recently committed suicide for such a fault, i give Gizmodo a pass.
Having your major screw-up exposed for the entire world to see is liable to make you less prone to suicide? I hope no one ever decides to be that kind to me...
As per the strict letter of law, many of our day to day activities would be wrong too! Considering that there were no deaths or loss of money, and Gizmodo is willing to return it back to Apple, I would give Gizmodo a clear pass!