Think Secret to cease as part of Apple settlement

Think Secret, an Apple rumor site that's sat at the center of a controversy over Apple product plans since 2005, is going to cease publication, according to a statement published on the site. The decision is part of a settlement that Think Secret reached with Apple.

"Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides," reads a press release posted on the site. "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.'"

In 2005, Think Secret and other sites were named in lawsuits filed by Apple as having misappropriated trade secrets. Apple alleged that Think Secret and others leaked information about a confidential audio product code-named "Asteroid."

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit group focused on legal public interest issues related to digital rights, defended the sites, filing appeals on behalf of the defendants, indicating that they were entitled to protection under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Asteroid never surfaced, but the ensuing controversy caused many in the Mac community to ask whether rumor sites were covered under the same "shield laws" that protect journalists from having to reveal their sources.

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