Wozniak speaks out against Apple in Tiger lawsuit

I have to be honest, at this point I agree with Wozniak.

Leave the kid alone and find the person who sends these info out the the media instead... Don't shoot the messenger...

I would have liked to see Woz say something on the order of "Steve and I were phreakers and stoners in our day and I can't see suing the pants off this Canadian guy, keeping him from eventually going to medical school and wrecking his life forever just because a few hundred people got hold of a very early alpha of Tiger. Sure, he should settle financially and be removed from our developer list, but why hang him in the town square? He cooperated at every step. It was our lawyers that conned him by saying we wouldn't sue if he gave us information and killed the torrent file; he did that and more and we sued him for tens of thousands anyway--on Christmas Eve."

A whole $1,000. If you think a thousand is a lot of money, where's YOUR career these days? Bloody hippie.

I am vindicated by none other than the Woz. Oh god that is sweet.

So screw all you corporate tools. Grow some balls. Or at least form your own opinions! LOL

I am surrounded by cattle.

Vive La Revolution.

Oh and to top it all off, yes I do own Apple stock.

How is putting a beta OS on a BitTorrent network an oversight?

I don't know all of the facts, but if he broke a contract, he is guilty and should be punished in some way. Is MS leaked a copy of Tiger, we'd be screaming bloody murder.

I don't know what the punishment should be, but it should be enough to teach him a lesson.

If he made a Torrent then he was deliberately breaking his contract and engaging in piracy. He should be punished in some way. I don't think he should be made an example of by throwing the book at him, but there should be a very clear penalty to deter others.

I agree with Woz that his life shouldn't be ruined by this but nobody forced him to create and share the torrent. But like previous posters have said, we don't know all the facts. There may be larger things at stake here. He might actually be a serial pirate who has done this kind of thing numerous times before and this is the first time Apple has caught him. Of course he could be the innocent college student that Woz portrays, we just don't know.

As far as all of you people defending Apple here, I have news for you. As much as I love Apple's products, as a coporation Apple is not a moral and ethical company. Being a Apple Reseller I am very familiar with their business practices and the way Apple has dealt with their resellers as of late is just plain horrible. Pick your battles wisely, standing up for Apple as a business could make you look like a complete jackass.

On the other hand I would argue that their products are superior to anyone who would listen.

"Being a Apple Reseller I am very familiar with their business practices"

Uh well, I say to that, two wrongs don't make a right. Just because Apple has somehow screwed you over, that does not justify this persons actions.

"Pick your battles wisely, standing up for Apple..."

And just because I might support Apple on this issue, doesn't necessarily mean I agree with everything they do.

What's wrong is wrong, plain and simple. Someone has broken a contract they signed with Apple. Apple has every right to go after this kid. If Apple doesn't do something, then some other Joe Schmoe will feel Apple doesn't care what they do. Apple needs to set a precedence and prove that they are serious about the contracts they ask people to sign. It's common sense.

Just as you feel wronged by Apple, you are obligated to do something, so that Apple doesn't do it to another reseller.

Nothing is ever just black or white, or simply good or evil. I don't want Apple to fail as a company just as much as I'd rather not see a corporation stomp all over a consumer. Making the assumption that "Corporation=evil / Consumer=victim" is wrong. However taking into consideration just how idiotic the American Consumer has become today, it doesn't surprise me that more people would think that.

Apple should and is justified in doing something, however, over-reacting never wins over any fans.

This whole issue just shows that people have no grasp of the legal system. It's not like this guy is going to be made to pay $1,000,000 or something. I don't care what the suit theoretically lists as its damage estimate. The guy will probably have to pay little or nothing, maybe apologize, be removed as a developer, and maybe agree to do something else.... whatever it takes to scare him, make him never do this sort of thing again, and hopefully scare other people into not playing around with such things.

I don't feel particularly sorry for the guy, because he basically says: "Oh poor me, I'm just a little ol' pre-med student and couldn't afford to pay $500 for an ADC membership." Well, a student membership is $99 IIRC, and in any case, deciding that it's OK to give it to some of your friends, does not make it less illegal. Additionally, the fact that it was done so poorly as to open it up to many many others increases the injury to Apple.

If the guy was caught providing his friends with crack, or stealing some jeans from a store and giving them to his friends, would anyone have any moral issues with him being held accountable? (Yes, those are crimes, but it's possible that this also could have been handled criminally, but apple chose the civil method)

Getting all down on Apple about this is silly. Piracy is illegal, the guy was caught. However, he will be scared, his life will not be ruined. To suggest it will is patently absurd.

All I can say is... Woz has spoken.
I'll side with Woz rather than Jobs any day.