Are the Apple iFlash rumours true as Apple starts suing?

Although Apple doesn’t yet have the real names of the culprits it will amend the complaint once he, she or they have been found

20 December 2004 8:56 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Apple Computer is suing anonymous people who leaked details about new products by posting information on the internet, courtroom documents, according to Reuters.

In recent months rumours have seen a number of websites speculating about a range of Apple products supposedly on the cards including a small flash based iPod.

Coming only weeks ahead of the Macworld expo in San Francisco, the complaint alleges that "an unidentified individual, acting alone or in concert with others, has recently misappropriated and disseminated through Web sites confidential information about an unreleased Apple product."

Although Apple doesn't yet have the real names of the culprits it will amend the complaint once he, she or they have been found prompting further speculation that a flash based player not only maybe true, but that one of the designs (check out over 69 here) you may have seen on these speculation sites to be true.

In December 2002, Apple sued a former contractor who allegedly posted drawings, images and engineering details of the company's PowerMac G4 computer in July of that year, several weeks before the product was officially unveiled.