The iPhone 4 case took another ugly turn yesterday when the search warrant + affidavit (PDF) used to gain access to (the finder) Brian Hogan’s home was (mistakenly?) released. It showed that Apple got the authorities involved after Hogan’s roommate, Katherine Martinson, contacted Apple to say her roomate was the one with the iPhone. She wanted to absolve herself of any wrongdoing because her computer was used to try to restore the wiped iPhone 4. It appears that the authorities knew that Jason Chen was a blogger for “Internet Magazine” Gizmodo.com, when they applied for the warrant to search his home and take his computers as well.
For those hoping that stiff penalties be enforced, remember that trade secrets can include just about any leaked information, no matter how small (i.e. like screen resolution of iPhone 4 or what processor it will use). This is a very slippery slope. The Apple employees that leak this kind of information to the media can be criminally charged with the same trade secret violations as the police are using to go after Gizmodo.
