Open Mouth - Get Sued
Apple has yet AGAIN filed another lawsuit, this time against Think Secret for disclosing trade secrets. Can anyone blame them? Here's what a lot of people just don't understand about WHY Apple keeps things so hush hush. It's actually quite simple and logical if you think about it. Marketing costs money. LOTS of money. When Apple creates the anticipation that surrounds an event like MacWorld, the end result is an enormous amount of PR that would otherwise cost Apple big bucks. Instead, they create the buzz, and in return get huge FREE coverage and huge savings. That all trickles down to the bottom line, which is good for investors and good for Apple. Another downfall to spreading these rumors is that it could have the exact opposite effect. Ex. A lot of people are now EXPECTING a pizza box headless iMac as a result of these rumors. Knowing how fickle Wall Street is, if this turns out to be bogus, the financial world in turn, dumps their Apple stock. NOT good.
The other side of this fence is that when you sign an NDA, you are bound to keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, what is the point? If Apple doesn't pursue the source of these leaks with a vengeance, then other people will eventually divulge information without giving it a second thought. Internal employees know better than to talk (Apple security is quite anal about this during orientation), but on occasion there is an idiot that feels compelled to feel special by bragging about things that nobody else is supposed to know. Whether the source of these leaks is an internal employee or developer is uncertain, but rest assured, they are gonna get hammered when they get discovered. Sux to be them...
