iPhone 4 Prototype Finders Get 1 Year Probation, 40 Hours Community Service & Owe Apple $500
Some of us are wondering, what happened with the guys who found an iPhone 4 prototype and sold it to Gizmodo last year? Well CNET posted full details about what happend with them and what kind of punishment they received. “The men, who were accused of selling the device to gadget blog Gizmodo last year, were sentenced to one year of probation, 40 hours of public service, and a requirement that each pay $250 in restitution to Apple, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told CNET. Brian Hogan[right], the man who allegedly found the prototype in a bar, and Sage Wallower, who allegedly helped Hogan shop the device around to technology sites, were charged with misdemeanor theft in early August.“
A total of $500 they need to pay is surpricingly low. Check out the full details at CNET.
\\ tags: gizmodo, iPhone 4, Prototype, Prototype Finders, Sold, stolen
October 12th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
I actually think it is high, really. In all reality it gave Apple free publicity, really publicity of a magnitude that even Apple couldn’t buy.
Since Apple didn’t loose money as a result of this process (I can’t quite call it a theft if the phone was lost), they couldn’t go after them for more than what the cost to replace the phone would be. The last I saw, that was in the neighborhood of $200 for an iPhone 4 (Apple’s cost of the parts at the time the phone was lost), it would be even less now.
Now, there’s where the question comes in, at what point are you required to turn in lost property to the police? The answer is it depends on the city, every where had a different dollar amount set. If they were not legally required to turn it in, then I would think they may have a right to appeal, as what they did would not be illegal.