Student publisher finds legal aid in Apple Case

20 January 2005 12:26 GMT / By Stuart Miles

The Harvard student who is being sued by Apple and seeking a lawyer to defend him has now found one.

Harvard undergraduate student Nicholas Ciarelli, who goes by the pseudonym Nick dePlume, said in an article on the site that he is being represented free of charge by Terry Gross, a lawyer who once represented the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

“Apple's attempt to silence a small publication's news reporting presents a troubling affront to the protections of the First Amendment," said Nick dePlume, the site's publisher and editor in chief. "I'm grateful that Mr. Gross has stepped forward to help defend these crucial freedoms."

The article goes on to say:

“Apple filed suit against the dePlume Organization LLC -- owner of Think Secret -- and its editor on January 4. Apple's lawsuit is designed to shutter the reporting efforts of a Web site that since 1998 has been the Internet's top source for news scoops about Apple and the Mac.

"Think Secret's reporting is protected by the First Amendment," Gross said. "The Supreme Court has said that a journalist cannot be held liable for publishing information that the journalist obtained lawfully. Think Secret has not used any improper newsgathering techniques. We will be filing a motion asking the Court to dismiss this case immediately on First Amendment grounds under a California statute which weeds out meritless claims that threaten First Amendment rights."

The EFF, as well as several other civil liberties organizations, was instrumental in helping Think Secret find legal representation.

Full tags

Software, Online, Software industry, Apple