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Apple staff fired for Leopard leak

updated 04:45 pm EDT, Wed August 23, 2006

Staff fired, Leopard leak

Apple has fired at least five retail store employees following an incident involving the download of illegitimate copies of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. The pre-release edition of the operating system was released to developers at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco earlier this month, after which beta copies began leaking to the public. The employees were overheard discussing the beta software, which reached Apple's headquarters and ultimately resulted in termination of those staff members after they admitted to illegally acquiring the operating system, according to Macworld UK. "All of us know that we violated our NDA and ethics policy. Therefore, because we had the character to tell the truth and to face the consequences of our actions, we were terminated," said one of the dismissed employees.

by MacNN Staff

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freakboy2
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Oct 2002

0

08/23, 04:55pm | report spam | close Reply |
this is why

the USA has hegemony over the world. see, the brits think that by telling the truth and coming forward they will save their jobs.. but us americans are ruthless and we'll just blow you up rather than let you make a living.

you break your NDA, i break your legs.

elroth
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2006

0

08/23, 04:56pm | report spam | close Reply |
Fired?

Because you had the character to tell the truth after getting caught violating terms of your employment, they shouldn't have fired you? This isn't the movies, where good-hearted criminals get a pass. You're lucky there's not a large fine involved...

Mrjinglesusa
Professional Poster

Joined: Feb 2002

0

08/23, 05:04pm | report spam | close Reply |
Character?

Umm, OK. They claim to have "character" because they told the truth. Where's the "character" in breaking your NDA? Where's the "character" in violating terms of your employment? Frickin' babies. You got what you deserved. Probably LESS than what you deserved.

dansays
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2006

0

08/23, 05:13pm | report spam | close Reply |
character

Having the "character to tell the truth and to face the consequences of [your] actions" does not absolve you of those consequences. Stop whining and take your medicine.

Surfindixon
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2006

0

08/23, 05:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
I don't believe it!!!

Unbelievable.....macrumours members rely on information from martys like these and you're giving these dudes zero sympathy. Your a bunch of hypocritical heartless barstewards. Go and visit the Apple news page if you want it from 'the source'.

Surfindixon
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2006

0

08/23, 05:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
Ooops!

Er wrong forum...ha ha ha (nervous laughter). No you're all quite right. They deserve it...no really.

freakboy2
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Oct 2002

0

08/23, 05:36pm | report spam | close Reply |
LOLZ

No, really they deserve death. you're either with us or against us. If you're not with us, then you're against us. If you are against us, then you're not with us. If you're not with us then we kill you.

lolz..

who cares?

macmiser
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2006

0

08/23, 05:36pm | report spam | close Reply |
What did they expect?

Steve Jobs would stop by and give them an award for their actions?

Faceplant
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2003

0

08/23, 06:01pm | report spam | close Reply |
The inside skinny is...

...Here is what was leaked. They said that no system has been snappier. It is the snappiest of the snappy systems, and doubly so run in the new Intel processers, which are by far snappier than the other ones, so you add it up, and you have snap squared. That is a direct quote.

You heard it here first.

By the way, can anyone tell me how to replace a reed cable in my G3?

Warrenpeace
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Joined: Oct 2001

0

08/23, 06:09pm | report spam | close Reply |
They were made an example

I don't understand why retail staff weren't offered the beta so they could inform themselves and be prepared to answer the questions of customers who were interested in the next gen of OSX? It's not like they were selling it -- they were just curious and love the product.

Senbei
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Joined: Feb 2004

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08/23, 06:44pm | report spam | close Reply |
re: ...made an example

I don't understand why retail staff weren't offered the beta so they could inform themselves and be prepared to answer the questions of customers who were interested in the next gen of OSX?

Leopard isn't even at the beta stage and it is called a Developer Preview for a reason. It isn't feature complete and whatever is available in the build is subject to change.

At this stage, it makes little sense to provide any sort of details at the retail level since that information will likely change in the future. It is better to have their employees concentrate on being informative about the products Apple is currently shipping rather than some incomplete and buggy early preview.

Being curious is one thing but to discuss something that clearly is covered under an NDA at their workplace shows a bit of naivety and lack of good judgement (contrary to the "we had the character to tell the truth" line) on the part of those involved especially when they were aware of internal policy regarding such matters (probably including a hard copy of the non disclosure agreement) and signed to that fact when they became employed.

climacs
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Joined: Sep 2001

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08/23, 07:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
fired for being stupid

1) if they had kept their bloody mouths shut, they'd still have their jobs. no one would have found out.

2) the reward they got for being honest - and since when do you get rewarded for honesty?? isn't that to be expected? if i steal from your wallet and then cop to it AFTER I get caught, are you going to give me a pat on the head? - was probably that Apple didn't sue them as they were entitled to.

godrifle
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Joined: Jan 2006

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08/23, 08:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
This is the problem...

...with so many people nowadays. "Because we had the character to tell the truth and to face the consequences of our actions, we were terminated". Um, no. You were terminated because you broke the law. That you admitted doing so is completely unrelated.

beeble
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2004

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08/23, 09:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
re made an example

When OS X 10.0 was about to be released I was working for an Apple Reseller and Apple hosted a training day for tech staff to be able to support it. This was about 1 week before release. That's when Apple will be giving out Leopard training, not when everything on the DVD is subject to change. What's the point in training everyone now and then next year they all discover that everything they learned is obsolete.

The issue is the theft of intellectual property and the rightful enforcing of an NDA. I want to get my hands on Leopard as much as the rest of you, but I'm not stupid enough to do it if it has any chance of costing me my job, and if you work for Apple, you absolutely know that you job is in the line with this kind of thing. Stupid!

climacs
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

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08/23, 10:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
more stupid

"Because we had the character to tell the truth and to face the consequences of our actions, we were terminated"

Um, if you had the character to face the consequences of your actions, why are you whining about being fired?

darkelf
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2003

0

08/23, 10:54pm | report spam | close Reply |
hrm

perhaps i'm simply being charitable, but i didn't take what the ex-employee said as a whinge.

kildjean
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2005

0

08/23, 11:07pm | report spam | close Reply |
morons

who in their right mind discusses illegal downloads in the company u work for? are u retarded? -- dont answer that question...

thesearcher
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Mar 2002

0

08/24, 01:32am | report spam | close Reply |
re: hrm

You're not being charitable, you're right, that didn't sound like a "whinge" at all.

Feynman
Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2006

0

08/24, 01:38am | report spam | close Reply |
Like some people have

stated, this is a Developer release. Not a sales release. It is meant for the development community. That's like me talking about products that are still in development in a different part of the Bank I work for and telling my buddies. Believe it or not, I am under NDA too.

If the wrong information get's in the wrong hands it could be reputation risk. Aside from Apple covering the assets, they are doing damage control at the same time.

It's really a win-win situation involved for everyone if they just follow and respect their NDA.

Gabriel Morales

Joined:

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08/24, 01:48am | report spam | close Reply | delete
Indeed...

Yeah they deserved it. In fact they're lucky that they didn't get sued additionally. I mean the nerve of Apple Store Mac fans peaking at the Leopard DP. Eveybody knows you need to shell out $$$$$ for that honor.

gudin
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2000

0

08/24, 08:20am | report spam | close Reply |
confessions

OK, so they told the truth. Generally, in criminal law, if someone confesses, they're charged with the crime. Their sentence maybe lighter than someone who doesn't (sometimes). but they are charged. Police LOVE it when someone confesses. It's not because they then say, "Good boy. You've learned your lesson."

Of COURSE they lost their jobs. Somthing had to happen to them. Some consequences. If they were simply caught, without confessing, perhaps they'd have been actually dealing with criminal charges or at least civil penalties. Instead, they just lost their jobs. All in all, they were treated better than they could have been.

umlaut
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2005

0

08/24, 10:20am | report spam | close Reply |
duh

more like "we had the character to face the consequences of our actions... and so we faced the consequences of our actions"

climacs
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

0

08/24, 01:51pm | report spam | close Reply |
piling on

ok i'm just piling on now but... everyone knows that everyone (just about) downloads software and music and p*** and whatever from the intertubez. But it's another thing entirely to work at an Apple store and talk about it openly. If customers hear you then that gives them the message that it's OK to do it, even the people at Apple Store do it! It's exactly like giving official sanction to it. "Go ahead! Download Leopard! Final Cut Studio too! wink wink! Buy the legal software if you feel like it! wink wink!"

yes they were lucky to only get fired. dumb dumb dumb.

marino
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2006

0

08/24, 03:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
Bad call for apple

When I go to the Apple Store I'd rather be served by employees who have an intellectual curiosity about the product they are working for than be served by mindless robots who can't do anything besides parroting the official company line.

superchase
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2006

0

02/09, 12:56pm | report spam | close Reply |
Execute 'em!

Geez, after readin' some of the comments here, I can't believe it. Yup, USA Right Wingers, here's yer chance to exact justice an' put on yer best real face. Execute those ex-employees! Throw 'em to the lionz! Put 'em on public display. Shame them. Humlilate 'em. Behead 'em! Do the Saddam Hussein treatment! The George Bush thang! Brand 'em with a big 'F' on their foreheads. No punishment's enuf' fer thoze kriminulz! Steve Jobs puts on a public face as some messiah, but is no different from Bill Gates. Apple puts on these hippie-dippie Think Different Ads with Ghandi on 'em, but demonstrates little mercy or compassion.

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Apple staff fired for Leopard leak

updated 04:45 pm EDT, Wed August 23, 2006

Staff fired, Leopard leak

this is why

Fired?

Character?

character

I don't believe it!!!

Ooops!

LOLZ

What did they expect?

The inside skinny is...

They were made an example

re: ...made an example

fired for being stupid

This is the problem...

re made an example

more stupid

hrm

morons

re: hrm

Like some people have

Indeed...

confessions

duh

piling on

Bad call for apple

Execute 'em!

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Apple staff fired for Leopard leak

updated 04:45 pm EDT, Wed August 23, 2006

Staff fired, Leopard leak

Related Articles

Recent Articles

this is why

Fired?

Character?

character

I don't believe it!!!

Ooops!

LOLZ

What did they expect?

The inside skinny is...

They were made an example

re: ...made an example

fired for being stupid

This is the problem...

re made an example

more stupid

hrm

morons

re: hrm

Like some people have

Indeed...

confessions

duh

piling on

Bad call for apple

Execute 'em!

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

10 Most Read

10 Most Discussed

MacNN Marketplace