Apple strikes back - the police searches Gizmodo editor's house

27 April, 2010
We are sure all of you are already familiar with the tale of the lost and found iPhone 4G prototype. It seems Apple won't give up until "justice" is served to all, whose hands touched the device, despite the...

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • psj
  • 27 Apr 2010

Doesn't the fact that a SWAP team broke into the house of a peaceful citizen because of a cell phone that wasn't there in the first place, since it had been returned to its owner, worries anyone?

They sent the SWAT nonetheless! Whatever happened to an appropriate response to a (alleged) crime? If someone ever takes Steve Jobs car because he forgot the keys in the ignition, what will the authorities do? Mobilize the Delta Force?

Am I the only citizen worried about such an obvious complicity between the authorities and the rich and powerful of this country? And this circus is being paid by the taxes of hard working citizens, who work a lifetime to earn what Steve Jobs makes in a day.

This is obnoxious.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • 3pr
    • 27 Apr 2010

    Here's a thought: let's raid Steve Job's house. The police will probably find dozens of Windows, Android and Symbian phones along with Dell laptops and cheap chinese MP3 players!!!

    P.S: funny how the number of iSheeps posting is quit low, humm? Have you seen the light?

      • K
      • Kean
      • tVr
      • 27 Apr 2010

      Wow, that is how Apple treat their fanboys. This has certainly divided the Apple fanboys community: those who support Apple's action and those who support Jason Chen (not many). But all of them are lining up to get Jason's job now that he has fallen. Oh, Apple fanboys can be so ruthless...just like Apple.

        • P
        • Philly-5-0-9
        • vV5
        • 27 Apr 2010

        hahaha!! no wonder Apple owners are sooo arrogant & ignorant it was rubbed off from the manufacturer its self.. idiots @ apple should get spys to follow their device testers around and make sure this doesn't happen again.... I'd be more than happy to sue them myself.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • qBM
          • 27 Apr 2010

          Someone should take a "byte" out of Apple.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • qBM
            • 27 Apr 2010

            Jason Chen, 27 Apr 2010Hey everyone. Just to let you know i have left gizmodo and ... moreI'm glad that you're here Jason Chen. I just hope the news and exclusives that you'll be bringing won't concern Apple products at all. Apple sucks

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • kM2
              • 27 Apr 2010

              Anonymous, 27 Apr 2010Stop buying Apple products from now on. This truly shows ho... moreYeah, and they also come here to say that it is "police matter."

              What a joke!?!

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • Khs
                • 27 Apr 2010

                Stop buying Apple products from now on. This truly shows how arrogant the company in handling matters. Using Police to break into Gizmodo editor's house by using lawsuit to cover their own stupidity ??? What a great PR you have Steve. Shame on you all !!!!

                  • M
                  • Micio
                  • PT5
                  • 27 Apr 2010

                  Anonymous, 27 Apr 2010The person who sold the phone to Gizmodo broke this law:- ... moreCAL. PEN. CODE § 485 : California Code - Section 485

                  One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.

                  - The person who found the device did called up Apple to return it. Apple dismissed the call as a hoax since the person who lost it didn't came out clear about it.
                  - The person after making reasonable and just efforts to restore the property to its owner, having been informed that said device is not theirs is no longer liable/quilty of theft. He then did what any other person who has no use for such a device in his life that has some little value in it... sells the device.
                  - Apple made a press release admitting a lost device. The unit was then returned to their possesion.
                  - Information generated from the device when it was in their possesion to the point it was declared lost is not covered by the clause: "appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto"; since the device is returned to its owner as stipulated by the continuing clause: "to restore the property to him".

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • RbX
                    • 27 Apr 2010

                    way to go Apple. Breaking into people's house after you got your property back. Your computers may not get viruses (which us the biggest lie ever told) but apparently that's because you are a virus. this guy breaks the law by buying lost property (that he was trying to be a good semaritan and return it but you laughed and thought it was a joke) and now you break the law by acquiring a false search warrant and breaking into this man's house looking for what? YOU ALREADY GOT YOUR CRAPPHONE BACK!!! The reviewer should sue APPLE for breaking and entering and robbery because they took his property for no reason. There are two morals to this story:
                    1. Never Buy Apple
                    2. (This is sad)Apparently if you find someone's lost property, it's better that you just let it sit there instead of try to find the owner and be a good semaritan and give it back.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • pjq
                      • 27 Apr 2010

                      Arrogant?, they are fighting for they rigths, or only the Gizmodo editor is the only one to have it? He tear it up the G4 and (in my case) i will arrest him for idiot, ha ha ha. Now... Gizmodo is a blog, people there are not journalist... he he or... anybody can be a jorrnalist only for write in a blog?... pufff

                        • s
                        • saint dynasty
                        • f39
                        • 27 Apr 2010

                        apple iphone deserves everything thats comings 2 them.they must stop trying to steal nokias ideas

                          • M
                          • Micio
                          • PT5
                          • 27 Apr 2010

                          * The iPhone 4G prototype device was left at a bar by it's engineer.
                          * The device was then found by a person that does not know he/she was holding a prototype device.
                          * The person checked the phone to see who the owner is.
                          * The Apple engineer who left the phone did not report it to the execs that it was lost.
                          * The person who had the phone checked out in a local open-mobile store was informed that it's not a regular iPhone, probably dismissed it as a clone iPhone.
                          * Further checking with the device's internal components, there were Apple tags all over the items.
                          * The person called-up the company, inquired if they lost a demo phone and offered to return it back. The person who answered the call dismissed it and laughed it off as a hoax, priding him/herself of the security system they have to have such an incident happen.
                          * The person who found the unit returned back to the open-mobile store and possibly sold the device.
                          * At Apple, over lunch, somebody overheard someone telling someone about the call made. This somebody was a confidant of the engr who lost the device and convinced him to come out clear about it to the bosses.
                          * The Execs received the report of the lost phone, called up their legal department, fired the engr, released a press statement of a stolen device.
                          * The person at the open-mobile shop saw the news of the missing iPhone device. Acted like a paparazzi with a scandalous picture on hand, went to the Mobile Press for the info.
                          * Gizmodo received the device like any other Publication will for a hot item up for release. Had their tech guy cover all the specs and return it back to Apple as a sign of good faith.
                          * Apple's legal department gently asked their contact at the Police and asked them to clean the trail up.
                          * The leak reviews were then publicized and Apple became a laughing joke over such a bad security detail.
                          * The Police contact work his way through his superiors and get the necessary papers to clean things up, was contacted again by the man at Apple to speed things up and get all necessary materials.
                          * It just so happen that Chen was out that day when the police came to their house, rounded up his gears and placed a note saying sorry for the door, you were just not in.
                          * Apple, like Pontious Pilate, washed their hands off the incident saying they have nothing to do with it, the Police is just doing their job. Besides, the device is with them already so there is no way they could be the culprit behind the raid.

                          Hhmmm.... Dan Brown can probably hype this up more as a plot for his next book. APPLE is connected to Isaac Newton who is a FreeMason and rumored to be an Iluminati, the founder of Apple were Iluminatis and up to the present, their One World Order is being placed in effect with Apple machineries and devices accessible to all persons.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • kM2
                            • 27 Apr 2010

                            Anonymous, 27 Apr 2010I bet that guy who sold the iPhone to gizmodo left the coun... more$5000 for that POS!

                            I would have given him 5 cents: Take it or leave it. LOL.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • IkU
                              • 27 Apr 2010

                              I bet that guy who sold the iPhone to gizmodo left the country for a little while by now with the $5000 he got lol. As to this incident. They know they're not right for that but what can you do when apple brings revenue to California.

                                • J
                                • Jason Chen
                                • 3Je
                                • 27 Apr 2010

                                Hey everyone. Just to let you know i have left gizmodo and signed a contract with gsmarena to give you guys more exclusives. stay tuned...

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • LbM
                                  • 27 Apr 2010

                                  Anonymous, 27 Apr 2010The person who sold the phone to Gizmodo broke this law:- ... moreBS! Breaking into a house of someone for that. This is a crime! Shity laws that are not for the people but for companies!

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • S3L
                                    • 27 Apr 2010

                                    Anonymous, 27 Apr 2010The person who sold the phone to Gizmodo broke this law:- ... morewithout first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him

                                    by trying to give the phone back to apple it makes this law unapplicable

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • P%n
                                      • 27 Apr 2010

                                      The person who sold the phone to Gizmodo broke this law:-

                                      CAL. PEN. CODE § 485 : California Code - Section 485

                                      One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.

                                      Source:-

                                      http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/cacode/PEN/3/1/13/5/s485

                                      By buying the phone Gizmodo bought stolen property which is also a crime, they did it publicly.

                                      Apple has nothing whatsoever to do with the investigation, it is a police matter.

                                        • F
                                        • FireDragon
                                        • sUv
                                        • 27 Apr 2010

                                        According to the posts earlier, the set was in an old package, which made it impossible to know others it is the new version, hence no reason to steal it by some unknown. Employee got drunk, took off with some girl perhaps or his buddies and left his belonging at the place.

                                        By the way, all of these harsh react from Apple now making me think if last year's suicide was actually a suicide or something else!