Apple buries a Blog: Sayonara Think Secret

Once a popular blog that covers anything and everything about Apple and its secrets, Think Secret will be finally put to rest after years of grueling court battle against the big Apple.

In 2005, the Think Secret blog published a juicy story from an insider tip. The story revealed plans. Apple sued, and requested subpoenas from the email provider to uncover the source of the leak. Two other blogs (Powerpage and Apple Insider) were also included in the lawsuit.

In May 2006, a California state appeals court ruled that online journalists enjoy the same rights as traditional media reporters to protect the confidentiality of their sources. Two months later, Apple declined to appeal that decision further.

Think Secret published this press release on the blog:

Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides. As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret’s publisher, said “I’m pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.”

Twenty-two year old Think Secret blogger Nick Ciarelli has been publishing on his blog since he was 13. After announcing he will shut down Think Secret, he still may pursue a career in journalism or put up a new blog altogether.

Apple may have successfully bullied the bloggers, brought them to their knees with surmounting legal fees but I think they also lost something in return — could be a slightly tarnished reputation, a reduced coolness factor and/or even an upgrade to the “bully” status.

I hope these type of stuff don’t happen to us bloggers around here. It would be a shame to spoil all that fun. You know me — I love blogging stuff about insider secrets, speculations, and the real stories behind “press releases” here. *heh*

P.S. And no, I’m not saying I eat C&D for breakfast.