Apple Pays Bloggers' Legal Fees in "Asteroid" Case

Apple's apparent effort to flush out leaks in its midst with a fake rumor have backfired in the long term. MacNN reports that the company has been ordered to pay $700,000 to cover the legal fees of a group of bloggers that reported on "Asteroid," a rumored Mac audio break-out box.

"The court's ruling is a victory for journalists of all mediums and a tremendous blow to those firms that believe their stature affords them the right to silence the media," said Kasper Jade, the publisher of AppleInsider.com. "Hopefully, Apple will think twice the next time it considers a campaign to bully the little guy into submission."

Um, maybe, maybe not. I really don't think Apple's intent with Asteroid was to bully the little guys. It was to smother internal leakers. And, given the alternative (can you say HP pre-texting? I knew you could), Apple's tactics weren't that unethical. They were just mean. I'm most excited that the Santa Clara County judge's recognized bloggers as having the same rights as journalists. It's about time.

Apple pays $700,000 for bloggers' legal fees [MacNN]