WebProNews

Nicholas Ciarelli, the student who was sued by Apple, will be receiving Pro Bono representation from Terry Gross, a lawyer from the San Francisco-based firm Gross & Belsky.

Apple sued Ciarelli (also known as Nick dePlume) for leaking information about Apple's new computer, the Mac Mini. The leak appeared on Ciarelli's web site, ThinkSecret.com. According to an entry on the site, "Apple's attempt to silence a small publication's news reporting presents a troubling affront to the protections of the First Amendment," said Nick dePlume, the site's publisher and editor in chief. "I'm grateful that Mr. Gross has stepped forward to help defend these crucial freedoms."

Mr. Gross is experienced in matters of Internet law, having served as counsel to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an advocate civil liberties in the technology and electronic communications realm.

"Think Secret's reporting is protected by the First Amendment," Gross said. "The Supreme Court has said that a journalist cannot be held liable for publishing information that the journalist obtained lawfully. Think Secret has not used any improper newsgathering techniques. We will be filing a motion asking the Court to dismiss this case immediately on First Amendment grounds under a California statute which weeds out meritless claims that threaten First Amendment rights."

Apple is seeking monetary damages from Ciarelli, as well as information concerning those responsible for leaking the information ThinkSecret.com revealed.

Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest search news.