Apple has filed a lawsuit within the Northern District of California, accusing Jon Prosser of misappropriating commerce secrets and techniques and violating the Pc Fraud and Abuse Act. Listed below are the total particulars.
If you happen to observe the rumor mill, you in all probability bear in mind how Joe Prosser had been leaking iOS 26 (or slightly, iOS 19, on the time) since January. First, he leaked a reconstruction of the Digicam app, then he printed a few movies that confirmed reconstructed glimpses of what really grew to become the Liquid Glass overhaul.
And whereas some particulars differed from what Apple finally introduced, possible as a result of the fabric he had entry to was nonetheless a piece in progress, the leaks have been directionally correct. Now, Apple has revealed how he received this data, and what it needs the courts to do about it.
Apple received tipped in regards to the leak in April
Within the lawsuit (through Macrumors), the corporate retells the way it received tipped that Michael Ramacciotti (one other defendant within the lawsuit) had damaged into the Improvement iPhone of an Apple worker known as Ethan Lipnik, whereas staying at his home:
“In accordance with Mr. Ramacciotti’s message, whereas staying at Mr. Lipnik’s residence, Mr. Ramacciotti used location monitoring to find out when Mr. Lipnik could be gone for an prolonged interval, acquired his passcode, and broke into his Improvement iPhone, which Mr. Lipnik had did not correctly safe based on Apple’s insurance policies. As he detailed within the audio message, Mr. Ramacciotti made a video name to Mr. Prosser and “confirmed iOS” on the Improvement iPhone. He demonstrated a number of options and purposes, disclosing particulars of the unreleased iOS 19 working system.
(…)
In accordance with Mr. Ramacciotti, Mr. Prosser proposed the scheme and promised to”discover out a approach for (Mr. Ramacciotti) to get cost” if Mr. Ramacciotti would supply entry to Mr. Lipnik’s Improvement iPhone so Mr. Prosser might steal and revenue from Apple’s confidential data. Mr. Ramacciotti acknowledged that Mr. Prosser recorded the video name with display screen seize instruments. Mr. Prosser took movies of the commerce secrets and techniques on the Improvement iPhone, saved them on his personal gadget, and disseminated these recordings to others. He shared the recordings with at the least one one that reported again to Mr. Lipnik that he acknowledged Mr. Lipnik’s house within the recording. Finally, Mr. Prosser profited off Apple’s commerce secrets and techniques by, at the least, sharing them in a number of movies on his enterprise’s YouTube channel, from which he generates advert income.
Apple goes on to element the lengths it goes to with a purpose to shield its commerce secrets and techniques, and the way confidentiality performs an enormous half in its improvement course of. The corporate additionally says that though it fired Lipnik, he was additionally saved in the dead of night about what had occurred till he discovered about it “via others, who claimed to have seen Mr. Lipnik’s house in a video recording from Mr. Prosser.”
Apple additionally claims that it doesn’t know whether or not Prosser has extra confidential materials that he has but to share, as “the Improvement iPhone moreover contained different unanounced design components that stay confidential”.
What Apple is asking the courtroom
In a nutshell, Apple is asking for a jury trial, which might permit a jury to resolve on injunctive and punitive damages if the corporate wins the case.
Within the doc, Apple lists the next requests:
Judgment in Apple’s favor and towards Defendants on all causes of motion alleged herein;
Injunctive aid because the Court docket finds needed and acceptable;
Damages in an quantity to be confirmed at trial;
Punitive damages based mostly on Defendants’ willful and malicious misappropriation of
commerce secrets and techniques;
An order directing Defendants to not make use of or disclose Apple’s confidential, proprietary, and commerce secret data to 3rd events with out its written consent; and to return or help Apple in finding and destroying any such data of their possession, custody, or management;
Pre-judgment and post-judgment curiosity on the most authorized fee as relevant, as a component of damages that Apple has suffered on account of Defendants’ wrongful and illegal acts;
Cheap attorneys’ charges and prices incurred; and
Such different aid because the Court docket deems simply and correct.
Prosser responds
On X, Prosser disputed Apple’s model of occasions, and briefly shared his personal account of how he obtained the iOS 26 interface:
It is extremely possible that extra data will come to mild within the subsequent few days, and we are going to observe the story and report again because it unfolds.
What’s your tackle all this? Share your ideas within the feedback.
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