After the closing of a case filed by Apple, a California appeals court judge has ruled that internet journalists and bloggers alike are protected by law just as traditional journalists are. Apple filed a case claiming that AppleInsider and PowerPage make known their sources for a 2004 story on those websites revealing an in-development Apple product dubbed Asteroid, which is to be a breakout box for Garageband. The ruling meant that AppleInsider and PowerPage did not have to disclose their sources and that the First Amendment and California’s Shield Law also apply to bloggers. This is one more step to furthering the recognition of blogs as viable media sources.
The ruling concludes that trade secrets do not categorically transcend freedom of the press, that there is no relevant legal distinction between journalistic blogging and journalism with regards to the shield law, and that Apple’s attempt to subpoena the e-mail service provider of one of the sites was a violation of the federal Stored Communications Act.
ArsTechnica
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Speaking of bloggers as a viable media source, did you see that thing about Technorati and the Associated Press? Some pretty interesting stuff.
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coolness.
This is just the US, though? How does it apply to international bloggers?
thats awesome
one word – sweet
Sweet! I myself am a technology blogger for Spark’d, my own little side project.
Although it does not literally say internationally this would work, if for some reason the same sort of case arose the defence could easily refer to this very case for the same conclusion.
I defiently like the result of this… Now I can be as bias and mainstream media!*
*I will continue to bring nonbias content.
This is great news for all bloggers!