Additional Press

Think Secret

Apple suit foreshadows coming products
CNET - Jan. 5, 2005

Apple on Tuesday sued the publisher of Mac enthusiast site Think Secret and other unnamed individuals, alleging that recent postings on the site contain Apple trade secrets, according to court documents seen by CNET News.com.

Observers Wonder if Apple Plans Low-Cost Macintosh
The New York Times - Jan. 10, 2005

The lawsuit alleges that the Web site operator, who calls himself Nick dePlume (and who has refused to disclose his real name), attempted to induce Apple employees or contractors into divulging the company's trade secrets. Mr. dePlume, who describes himself as the editor and publisher of Think Secret, said in an e-mail message that he was reviewing the lawsuit and that he was confident that his reporting would be protected by the First Amendment.

Apple suit tests First Amendment
CNET - Jan. 10, 2005

In its court action last week, Apple sued not only the unnamed individuals who revealed Apple's inside information, but also those at Mac enthusiast site Think Secret who helped publish it. "To me, it is very disturbing that Apple, or anybody frankly, would try to invoke trade secrets to go after a media publication or, for that matter, even a blog," said Paul Grabowicz, director of the New Media Program at the University of California at Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.

Apple Suit Raises Suspicions
Wired - Jan. 10, 2005

Apple's lawsuit against Think Secret is a strategic but risky move designed to focus press attention on this week's Macworld, marketing experts say. ThinkSecret is published by Nick deplume (a pseudonym), whose real identity is not known. Because of its strong record, it has been suggested on websites and forums ThinkSecret is "Apple authorized": a semi-official outlet for leaks, like the Washington Post and the White House.

Apple Sues Student
The Harvard Crimson - Jan. 12, 2005

Nineteen-year-old Nicholas M. Ciarelli ’08, known on the internet as Nick dePlume, has run the site, thinksecret.com, since age 13. “I employ the same legal newsgathering practices used by any other journalist,” he wrote. “I talk to sources of information, investigate tips, follow up on leads, and corroborate details. I believe these practices are reflected in Think Secret’s track record.”

Apple Targets Harvard Student For Product 'Leaks'
InformationWeek - Jan. 13, 2005

Undergraduate Nicholas M. Ciarelli had disclosed some details about Apple's "headless iMac," the firm's under-$500 computer unveiled at Macworld this week. For that, and for other leaks on planned Apple product announcements, Ciarelli has incurred the wrath of Apple, which has filed the complaint in Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara.

Apple Sues Web Site Run by 19-Year-Old For Revealing Secrets
The Wall Street Journal - Jan. 14, 2005

More than almost any other technology company, Apple Computer Inc. likes to keep its secrets. Now it is cracking down on the mysterious mastermind behind a Web site that has gained fame among Mac-lovers — and notoriety among company executives — for revealing details about Apple products before they are launched.

Nicholas Ciarelli started what became ThinkSecret.com at age 13 as an online hangout for fellow enthusiasts of Apple's Macintosh computers. It has since turned into one of the most influential Web sites about the company, drawing analysts, reporters and industry watchers eager to read guesses about Apple's next move.

Teen Web Editor Drives Apple to Court Action
The Washington Post - Jan. 14, 2005

Nicholas M. Ciarelli was not even old enough to shave when he started getting under Apple Computer Inc.'s skin. As a 13-year-old middle-schooler, the New Woodstock, N.Y., native built a Web site in 1998 and began publishing insider news and rumors about Apple, using the alias Nick dePlume.

Apple sues Harvard freshman over leaks
UPI - Jan. 14, 2005

Nicholas M. Ciarelli operates ThinkSecret.com, which has built a reputation for disclosing developments at Apple before the company is ready for them to be public.

Internet 'Mac'raker – Tipster Teen in Battle vs. Apple
New York Post - Jan. 15, 2005

The mystery Webmaster being sued by Apple Computers for revealing its secrets has been unmasked as a 19-year-old upstate student whose heroes were the reporters who broke the Watergate scandal. Nicholas Ciarelli began his Web site, Think Secret, at age 13 and turned it into a must-read for Mac fans.

Student seeks legal help in Apple case
ZDNet - Jan. 17, 2005

Nicholas Ciarelli, the Harvard student behind ThinkSecret.com, may need the assistance of a generous lawyer now that he has to deal with a lawsuit from Apple.

Rumor Site Gains Lawyer in Defense Against Apple
eWEEK - Jan. 20, 2005

The question of legal representation was an acute one for dePlume Organization LLC, the owner of the site, and the organizations founder, Nick dePlume—dePlume is the screen name of Nick Ciarelli, a 19-year-old freshman at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Harvard student finds lawyer to defend Apple suit
CNET - Jan. 20, 2005

Harvard undergraduate student Nicholas Ciarelli, who goes by the pseudonym Nick dePlume, said in an article on the site that he is being represented free of charge by Terry Gross, a lawyer who once represented the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an agency that is backing two other Macintosh sites that are in Apple's legal crosshairs.

Journalists must reveal their sources (if Apple asks)
The Register - Jan. 20, 2005

Nick de Plume is a nom de plume for 19-year old Harvard Student Nick Ciarelli, who's run the site for six years, and notched up an impressive record of scoops.

When Bloggers Make News
The Wall Street Journal - Jan. 21, 2005

In another case, Apple Computer Inc. has brought a lawsuit against the owner of a Web site run by a Harvard student, Nicholas Ciarelli, called ThinkSecret.com for allegedly revealing trade secrets. An attorney for Mr. Ciarelli said that holding a Web writer accountable for how his source obtained information would have a chilling effect on free speech.

ThinkSecret lawyer fights back at Apple
InfoWorld - Jan. 21, 2005

Terry Gross, the lawyer working free of charge for Nicholas Ciarelli, said the Apple lawsuit ignores First Amendment protections of free speech and attempts to intimidate small publishers from printing unwanted information about companies such as Apple.

Business in Brief
The Washington Post - Jan. 22, 2005

Nicholas Ciarelli, the teen being sued by Apple for allegedly revealing trade secrets on his Web site, www.thinksecret.com, gained legal help yesterday when a lawyer specializing in freedom of speech and the Internet said he will defend the 19-year-old Harvard University student free of charge.

Apple sues student to guard 'secrets'
The Telegraph - Jan. 22, 2005

It built its reputation as the entrepreneur and underdog of the computer industry, but these are qualities Apple does not necessarily admire in others. The technology company has begun legal action against an Apple-watching internet site run by a university student, Nicholas Ciarelli. Mr Ciarelli's crime has been his success.

Sue different: Apple threatens insider sites after leaks
Online Journalism Review - Jan. 25, 2005

“I use the same, legal news gathering techniques that any other reporter uses,” said Nick Ciarelli, the 19-year-old Harvard student who runs ThinkSecret and is an editor at the Harvard Crimson. “It’s worth noting that large publications and major newspapers frequently publish news scoops about Apple, but Apple has never sued any of them, and is instead attempting to silence a small online publication.”

Apple blazes new trail with suit against overeager blog
PRWeek - Jan. 31, 2005

When Apple sued news website Think Secret earlier this month for posting trade secrets, it embarked on what could be a landmark experiment in media relations. One, it furthered the already teeming debate on who should be given journalistic protections. It also called into question a company's abilities and rationale for keeping leaks at bay while gearing up for a public unveiling. But the most intriguing question is for Apple itself: How vigorously should a company guard its secrecy in a world of rabid citizen journalists, especially one whose unique cult status is largely fueled by those journalists?

Apple suit is wrong kind of different
PCWorld - Feb. 8, 2005

In the case at hand, the target is Think Secret. The site, operated by a Harvard freshman named Nicholas Ciarelli (who goes by the site pen name of Nick dePlume), had apparently gotten information that was leaked by someone, perhaps inside Apple, about the consumer products Apple would be announcing. If the party leaking information to Think Secret had sent it to, say, the San Jose Mercury News or The New York Times -- and had those publications run the news, as they no doubt would have -- Apple wouldn't be suing. Both newspapers have deep enough pockets to defend themselves.

Site Precedent
The Village Voice - Feb. 8, 2005

Gross sees another motivation at work. “I think what the Apple lawsuit against Think Secret really is, is an attempt to intimidate small journalists,” pointing out that had he not agreed to represent Think Secret, the site’s editor—19-year-old Harvard student Nicholas Ciarelli—might have folded his site rather than go to court.

Apple founder urges company to drop bullying lawsuits
The Register - Feb. 22, 2005

Apple is also suing a number of online publications in an attempt to trace the identity of leakers. In the run up to MacWorld Expo last month, one-man site ThinkSecret published details of Apple's sub-$500 headless Mac, and its founder Nick Ciarelli, a 19-year old Harvard student, found himself on the end of a John Doe lawsuit demanding he reveal his sources.

Think Again
Forbes - Feb. 28, 2005

Nicholas Ciarelli is the owner of a Power Mac G5, a PowerBook G4, a Cinema Display, an iSight camera and two iPod music players, all made by Apple. The 19-year-old Harvard freshman also runs ThinkSecret.com, a popular news site filled with gossip about what Apple Chief Steve Jobs will think up next. "Apple is attempting to silence a small online publication," he says. "ThinkSecret's reporting is protected by the First Amendment."

Is Apple The New Microsoft?
Forbes - March 4, 2005

Apple argues that Web sites aren't protected by free speech provisions under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because they are not "legitimate members of the press." In most cases journalists, protected under the First Amendment guaranteeing free speech, do not have to reveal sources.

Apple Asks Judge to Order Web Sites to Name Sources
The New York Times - March 5, 2005

Apple accuses Nick DePlume, the operator of Think Secret, of trying to induce Apple employees to divulge the company's trade secrets. Mr. DePlume, whose real name is Nicholas Ciarelli and who is a student at Harvard University, asserts that Apple is using its financial power to intimidate small journalists. Mr. DePlume's lawyer, Terry Gross of the San Francisco firm of Gross & Belsky, said the issue was whether writers published on small Web sites and in blogs should be afforded the same protections given to professional journalists with major news operations. Had such an article about Apple appeared in a major newspaper, he said, "it would have been called good journalism; Apple never would have considered filing a lawsuit."

Think Secret tries to get Apple suit tossed
CNET - March 7, 2005

Lawyers for Think Secret publisher Nick Ciarelli are asking a judge to throw out an Apple Computer lawsuit that charges the Mac enthusiast site withh violating trade secret law in reporting details about an unreleased audio device. In support of its motion to dismiss, Think Secret has filed statements from journalism professor Thomas Goldstein of the University of California at Berkeley and former San Jose Mercury News columnist Dan Gillmor, discussing the First Amendment implications of the case.

SLAPP Fight Over Mac Rumors
Wired - March 8, 2005

Rumor site Think Secret isn't rolling over in the face of legal pressure from an irate Apple Computer. Think Secret, run by 19-year-old Harvard University undergrad Nicholas M. Ciarelli under the name Nick dePlume, filed a motion in California Superior Court in Santa Clara County on Friday saying that Apple's lawsuit is without merit and is simply an attempt to stifle the site's reporting by burdening it with legal fees.

Mac Site Seeks Dismissal of Apples Lawsuit
eWEEK - March 8, 2005

Mac news site Think Secret has filed a motion requesting that an Apple lawsuit against it be dismissed on grounds that it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Apple’s Lawsuits to Guard Its Secrets Leave Mac Faithful With Bitter Taste
Los Angeles Times - March 9, 2005

Apple filed a lawsuit against the website and Nick Ciarelli, the Harvard University freshman who runs it. In an interview, Ciarelli said he should be treated as any other reporter. “I use the same news gathering that any journalist uses,” he said, “and Think Secret publishes newsworthy information of interest to readers.”

Apple v. ThinkSecret: confidentiality of sources must be respected
Reporters Without Borders - March 9, 2005

The lawyers for Nicholas Ciarelli, the student who run the ThinkSecret site, have invoked the recognised right of journalists to protect their sources. Since then, the debate in the press and in the court has focussed on the issue of whether this protection applies to a non-professional journalist and one who works solely for an online media.

Net buzzing on bloggers' status
San Francisco Chronicle - March 9, 2005

On a site called MacRumors.com, the forum's administrator noted that the publisher of ThinkSecret, Nicholas Ciarelli, had filed a motion to dismiss Apple's suit. Ciarelli, known as Nick dePlume, said he was asking for the suit to be dismissed under California's Anti-SLAPP statute, "a law designed to stem meritless lawsuits that attempt to chill valid, constitutional exercises of freedom of speech."

Teen reporter pays price for Apple coverage
The Boston Globe - March 14, 2005

Nicholas Ciarelli is an excellent journalist. Too bad. The poor kid's liable to be bankrupt before he's old enough to buy beer. All because he's very good at what he does -- and because he does it on the Internet. In his seven-year career, Ciarelli has developed sources inside Apple that any newspaper reporter might envy. They could be employees of the company, or contractors, or parts suppliers -- who knows? But they tell Ciarelli many things that Apple doesn't want him to know.

Apple Can Seek Sources of Articles
The Wall Street Journal - March 14, 2005

The case is separate from a pending suit brought by Apple directly against another Web publisher, Think Secret, in the same California court. In that case, Apple is alleging Nicholas Ciarelli, the Harvard undergraduate who runs Think Secret under the name Nick dePlume, published trade secrets related to several Apple products.

Latest Online Scoops Thwart Apple's Bid For Secrecy
InformationWeek - March 18, 2005

Ciarelli's attorney, Terry Gross of Gross & Belsky LLP, a San Francisco law firm that specializes in intellectual-property and media law, calls the case unprecedented. "They're suing a journalist and trying to hold him liable in damages for trade-secret misappropriation," he says. "They're trying to say [that] for reporting the news, you could be liable for millions of dollars."

To Cut Online Chatter, Apple Goes to Court
The New York Times - March 21, 2005

Apple charged Nicholas M. Ciarelli, the Harvard freshman who operates the Web site Think Secret, with illegally attempting to induce Apple employees to violate their confidentiality agreements with the company. One measure of Mr. Jobs's effectiveness as a company evangelist is the Web traffic on Think Secret, the Apple rumor site run by Mr. Ciarelli since 1998. During periods when Apple has product introductions, Mr. Ciarelli said that his site receives as many as five million page views a month.

Apple acts to save its core
The Sydney Morning Herald - March 24, 2005

The furore began when Apple sued Nicholas Ciarelli, a 19-year-old Harvard student who runs ThinkSecret, one of the many websites peddling speculation about Apple's activities, for pre-empting the announcement of the Mac mini. Ciarelli, who has a web of informers the envy of his peers, has often incurred Apple's ire, but this time the company looks set to take him to the wire.

Think different (unless it's about Apple boss Jobs)
The Independent - April 28, 2005

Apple remains busy with its other actions against those it considers guilty of peddling its secrets on the internet. Last December, it filed a suit against 25 unnamed individuals saying they had leaked confidential information on a number of sites. It has also sued a Harvard student, Nicholas Ciarelli, whose website, ThinkSecret.com, published a story late last year about Apple's plans for a Mac Mini computer.

Apple's Legal Drive to Stifle Web Sites Is Fruitless So Far
The New York Times - May 1, 2005

Since Apple Computer filed a lawsuit in January against Think Secret, a Web site operated by a 19-year-old Harvard student, accusing the site of publishing Apple's trade secrets, the company has sent a series of cease-and-desist letters to the student, Nicholas M. Ciarelli.

Think Belligerent
Wired - May 1, 2005

Nick Ciarelli is the kind of guy Apple is supposed to love. At age 6, he began using his parents' Mac Classic and quickly became a zealot. At 13, he launched a Web site devoted to all things Apple, especially upcoming product releases. Now 19, Ciarelli has turned the site, Think Secret, into a must-read for true Apple fans. Few suspect that the person writing so authoritatively under the name Nick dePlume wasn't even born when the Macintosh was introduced. Young, a bit brash, and not afraid to think different, Ciarelli has become a personification of Apple itself.

Standing alone against Apple
The Boston Globe - May 24, 2005

Ciarelli is accused of doing exactly what reporters all over America are supposed to be doing: finding and publishing information that institutions don't want to reveal. To think that a 19-year-old man should face trial for engaging in behavior that is the cornerstone of our democracy is sickening.

Apple is suing 19-year-old Nicholas Ciarelli. Is he an arch Web villain or a cyber hero?
The Boston Globe - June 25, 2005

By day, he's an unassuming college student and intrepid campus journalist. By night, on weekends, and during school vacations, he's the scourge of Apple Computer and its ever-vigilant legal team: a Web-spawned version of the cunning archfiends who -- holy trade secrets, Batman! -- prey upon the good citizens of Gotham City (er, Cupertino) with a brazen disregard for playing by the rules. To meet dePlume in person, therefore -- real name: Nicholas Ciarelli; age: 19; primary occupation: Harvard undergraduate -- is something of a letdown, villainwise.

The Courageous Few
Fast Company - Sept. 1, 2005

Nicholas Ciarelli’s posts of insider news about Apple prompted the notoriously secretive computer maker to file a lawsuit accusing him of misappropriating trade secrets. Claiming First Amendment protection, Ciarelli, a student at Harvard University, continues to scoop Apple’s zealously guarded product rollouts despite Apple’s ham-fisted attempt at intimidation.

Apple thwarted in bid to unmask leaker
CNET - May 26, 2006

In a separate case, Apple directly sued another enthusiast site, Think Secret, alleging that it directly infringed on Apple's trade secrets by soliciting inside information. In a telephone interview, Opsahl said Friday's ruling could help Think Secret in its bid to get Apple's lawsuit thrown out. "Perhaps this opinion will be useful to the court's decision in that (case)."

ThinkSecret Shutting Down in Settlement With Apple
Associated Press - Dec. 20, 2007

Apple Inc. has settled a lawsuit it brought against a fan site devoted to Apple products, ThinkSecret.com, but the site will also shut down as part of the agreement. The site's publisher, Harvard student Nick Ciarelli, said in a statement that he was "pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits."

Who Is Really Hurt by Apple Rumor Site’s Closure?
The New York Times - Dec. 20, 2007

It’s easy to see the imminent shutdown of Think Secret, the Apple rumor site, as a victory in Apple’s war against leaks and a deterrent for others who want to report aggressively about a company. But that’s not how Nick Ciarelli, the Harvard senior who founded the blog when he was 13, sees it.

Settlement shutters ThinkSecret; EFF: it's for the best
Ars Technica - Dec. 20, 2007

A ripple was felt through the Mac community early this morning, as one of its oldest and best-known rumor sites announced that it would be closing its doors. ThinkSecret announced that it had settled a three-year-old lawsuit with Apple, which resulted in the site's tipsters to remain anonymous, apparently at the expense of the site's continued operations. "I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits," said ThinkSecret publisher and Harvard undergrad Nick Ciarelli in a statement.

Apple shuts down rumours website
BBC News - Dec. 20, 2007

Apple has settled a legal row with tip site Think Secret that will see the website shut down. In a statement about the deal Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret publisher, said: "I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits."

Lawyer: Apple's the loser in ThinkSecret deal
Computerworld - Dec. 20, 2007

A popular Apple-centric rumor Web site has shut down as part of an out-of-court settlement with Apple Inc., but the lawyer representing the blog said today that it was a win for his client and a loss for the company. "The First Amendment has prevailed," said Terry Gross of Gross & Belsky LLP, "and every Internet journalist should feel some strength from what's happened." The settlement, which was announced today by Nick Ciarelli, publisher and editor in chief of the popular ThinkSecret site, came nearly three years after Apple filed a lawsuit that accused him and his site of illegally soliciting leaks from Apple employees.

Think Secret to cease as part of Apple settlement
Macworld - Dec. 20, 2007

Think Secret, an Apple rumor site that's sat at the center of a controversy over Apple product plans since 2005, is going to cease publication, according to a statement published on the site. The decision is part of a settlement that Think Secret reached with Apple.

Apple deletes Web site started by teen
New York Daily News - Dec. 20, 2007

Apple's pulled the plug on a cub journalist who dared to take on the computer giant. Think Secret, a rumor-gathering Web site started by a 13-year-old that rattled Apple with its scoops, is shutting down as part of a legal settlement. But Nick Ciarelli, the whiz kid who launched the gossip sheet from his parents' house, will not have to cave to Apple's earlier demands and reveal his sources. "I'm very satisfied with the settlement," Ciarelli told the Daily News. Ciarelli, now 22 and a senior at Harvard, said he "will now have the time to launch new projects." He called the Mac story that prompted the lawsuit "well reported. It was right."

Popular Apple rumor Web site to shut down
Reuters - Dec. 20, 2007

Apple Inc and a popular Web site that published company secrets about the maker of the Mac computer, the iPhone and the iPod have reached a settlement that calls for the site to shut down. Apple and the site, ThinkSecret.com, settled the suit, which Apple filed in January 2005, and no sources were revealed, Apple and ThinkSecret said in statements. College student Nick Ciarelli, ThinkSecret’s publisher, said he plans to move on. He started the site at 13.

Apple mugs Think Secret
The Register - Dec. 20, 2007

Acclaimed Apple news site Think Secret is to close, following the settlement of a lawsuit from Apple.

Apple strong-arms Web site into going dark
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - Dec. 20, 2007

It had accused Think Secret creator Nicholas Ciarelli of inducing Apple employees to reveal trade secrets — by simply asking for information. Sound familiar? It’s the tactic the tobacco companies used to try to intimidate news organizations like 60 Minutes (remember Jeffrey Wigand and "The Insider") into staying away from publishing information as their more egregious practices started coming to light in the 90s.

Think Secret's demise benefits Nick Ciarelli as much as Apple
Valleywag - Dec. 20, 2007

As his three-year legal battle with Apple reaches a settled end, Nick Ciarelli, the writer behind Think Secret, states that shutting down the Mac rumor site while not revealing his sources is a "positive solution for both sides." Most people aren't buying it, blaming Apple for shutting down Think Secret. Which is exactly why it is a positive result for Ciarelli.

Apple shuts down Think Secret
Engadget - Dec. 20, 2007

Remember how back in 2005 Apple sued Think Secret, one of the most infamous Apple rumor sites on the block? Apparently TS's publisher Nick Ciarelli (aka Nick DePlume) settled and even managed to keep his inside sources hidden (and the man has many), but paid the ultimate price: he's agreed to shut down the site, presumably for good — at least in its current incarnation. We've got an email out to their crew to verify because something doesn't seem quite right here, kind of almost feels like a put-on. But who knows, maybe Apple managed to take out one of its most hated sites. Too bad that site also happens to be one of Apple fans' most beloved.

Oh My God! Apple Killed Think Secret! Those Bastards!
TechCrunch - Dec. 20, 2007

Apple and Apple blog Think Secret have settled their long running legal dispute over leaked Apple secrets, and under the deal Think Secret will cease operation. On a bright note, until the bitter end Think Secret never gave up their sources; Think Secret editor Nick Ciarelli should be praised for continuing to take the high moral ground, despite the cost.

Apple Kills Think Secret: Publisher Nick Ciarelli Talks
Wired - Dec. 20, 2007

The three-year court battle between popular rumor site Think Secret and Apple has concluded. Sadly, the end result is that Think Secret will no longer be published. Speaking by phone Wednesday morning Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret's publisher, refused to say whether he was angry or not that Apple is forcing him to shut down his website. All he would say is that he was "very satisfied" with the settlement.

Ciarelli Lawyer Says Apple is the Real Loser in Think Secret Deal
Wired - Dec. 20, 2007

The news that popular Apple rumor site Think Secret will be shutting down as part of an agreement with Apple gives the distinct impression the Cupertino company managed to bully the site and its publisher into submission. But Gross & Belsky partner Terry Gross (pictured right) has a very different take on the agreement. Gross, who's represented Think Secret publisher Nick Ciarelli since 2005, says Apple is actually the real loser in this deal. And others, including some digital rights groups, seem to agree.

Apple makes the messenger kill himself
The Mercury News - Dec. 20, 2007

Long-running Apple rumor site Think Secret — always passionate, often entertaining, and sometimes even right — is no more, the victim of going a leak too far. In 2005, Apple loosed its lawyers on the site and its publisher, young Mac enthusiast Nick Ciarelli, for allegedly disclosing trade secrets in revealing details about the Mac Mini and other products before Steve Jobs got to make the official announcements at Macworld. Apple said Ciarelli "induced" employees to leak with his open invitation for insider dope, and it wanted names. Ciarelli said he was just using standard news gathering methods, and clammed up about his sources.

Apple lawsuit fallout: ThinkSecret.com shutting down
CNET - Dec. 20, 2007

Think Secret, the Apple rumor Web site, will no longer be published, under the terms of an undisclosed settlelment with Apple Inc. The site issued a small press release on the matter late last night, with Think Secret's publisher Nick Ciarelli noting, "I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits."

Apple Forces Shutdown Of Think Secret Web Site
InformationWeek - Dec. 20, 2007

Apple and Think Secret publisher Nicholas M. Ciarelli, who the computer maker sued in 2005 for disclosing trade secrets, have reached an agreement that calls for the closing of the popular Mac enthusiast Web site.

Think Secret No More
InformationWeek - Dec. 20, 2007

Alas, poor Nick Ciarelli, I knew him Horatio. A fellow of Infinite Loop, a most excellent Apple fan boy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now how abhorred in my imagination it is!

Apple Silences Think Secret
InformationWeek - Dec. 20, 2007

Think Secret, the target of an Apple lawsuit to find out who leaked information to the site, has announced that it has reached a settlement with Apple at the cost of its existence, though not its integrity.

Apple kills Think Secret blog
The Guardian - Dec. 20, 2007

Apple has killed the Think Secret site, following long legal negotiations. The site says: As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret's publisher, said "I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits."

ThinkSecret.com Goes Away
David Pogue - Dec. 21, 2007

Think Secret was in the business of leaking information about coming Apple products. Apple was peeved. So Apple sued Think Secret’s publisher, Nick Ciarelli, a Harvard student who wrote under the name Nick dePlume, to make him reveal his sources. He refused, setting off a huge online debate pitting "truth wants to be free" against "you’re damaging a company."

Apple, blog settle suit; Think Secret closes, but won't name source
San Francisco Chronicle - Dec. 21, 2007

In an interview, Nick Ciarelli, the 22-year-old Harvard senior behind the blog, said he had been thinking about shuttering the site for some time and he is "very satisfied" by the settlement's terms.

Apple Settles Suit to Keep Secrets Safe
NPR Morning Edition - Dec. 21, 2007

Apple reaches a deal with a college student who had been running a Web site that leaked juicy tidbits about Apple products. The student agreed to shut down the site, which has been an irritant to the company.

After outing Apple for years, blog shuts down
Los Angeles Times - Dec. 21, 2007

After a long battle with Apple Inc., a Harvard University senior said Thursday that he would shut down Think Secret, the website known for landing scoops about the company’s latest products. Apple was peeved by the leaks and sued him in 2005.

Website to be closed as part of deal with Apple
The Boston Globe - Dec. 21, 2007

Computer maker Apple Inc. and a Harvard undergraduate who published confidential Apple information on his Internet site have settled a three-year legal dispute that made international headlines. "This is an agreement that presents a positive solution for both sides," said Nicholas Ciarelli, a 22-year-old senior majoring in social studies and creator of the Think Secret website.

Apple Rumor Site to Shut Down in Settlement
The New York Times - Dec. 21, 2007

Apple on Thursday put to rest the last of a series of lawsuits it brought in a losing and costly effort to put a stop to Web leaks about its product plans. Nicholas M. Ciarelli, who operated a Web site for Apple rumors called Think Secret, was sued by Apple for publishing trade secrets in January 2005. In a brief statement Thursday on his site, Mr. Ciarelli said that he had reached a settlement with Apple and that he would stop publishing Think Secret.

Apple Fan Site to Shut Down To Settle Lawsuit by Apple
The Wall Street Journal - Dec. 22, 2007

When Apple Inc. sued a Harvard University freshman, Nicholas Ciarelli, nearly three years ago, it wanted the names of sources for some juicy scoops about still-secret Apple products he had published on his Apple news-and-rumor Web site, Think Secret. The suit sparked accusations that Chief Executive Steve Jobs was, in essence, attempting to censor a member of the modern digital press.

How Apple Got Everything Right By Doing Everything Wrong
Wired - March 18, 2008

Nicholas Ciarelli created Think Secret—a Web site devoted to exposing Apple's covert product plans—when he was 13 years old, a seventh grader at Cazenovia Junior-Senior High School in central New York. When he left for Harvard, Ciarelli kept the site up and continued to pull in ad revenue. At heart, though, Think Secret wasn't a financial enterprise but a personal obsession. "I was a huge enthusiast," Ciarelli says. "One of my birthday cakes had an Apple logo on it."

Apple's Wall is Tumbling Down
Gawker - April 21, 2010

Harvard student and Think Secret publisher Nicholas Ciarelli was using his PowerBook G4 to expose the company's confidential plans before there was any such thing as an iPhone or even a MacBook.

Apple Versus the Tech Blogs: A History
All Things D - April 27, 2010

In December 2007, Apple managed to shut down Think Secret, a Mac rumor site it sued for misappropriation of trade secrets in 2005 after it pre-announced the Mac mini and the iLife ’05 software suite.

What Everyone Is Too Polite to Say About Steve Jobs
Gawker - Oct. 7, 2010

In 2005, for example, the company sued 19-year-old blogger Nick Ciarelli for correctly reporting, prior to launch, the existence of the Mac Mini. The company did not back down until Ciarelli agreed to close his blog ThinkSecret forever.

On the Media: Steve Jobs and Apple vs. a free press
Los Angeles Times - Oct. 17, 2011

That decision did not resolve Apple’s pursuit of Nicholas Ciarelli, the teenage blogger who ran the Apple-loving ThinkSecret. Even as Apple went after him in court, Ciarelli continued to publish excited speculation about upcoming Apple products like the Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle MP3 player. That’s the kind of buzz most companies would kill for. Instead, Apple wanted to kill the blog.

The iPhone 5: Apple’s worst-kept secret
Fortune - Sept. 5, 2012

Two weeks before Steve Jobs was scheduled to unveil the original Mac mini at Macworld 2004 in Boston, a teenage blogger who called himself Nick dePlume broke the news on his website, Think Secret. It wasn't dePlume's first Apple scoop. A report three years earlier that the company was preparing to release the G4 PowerBook earned him the first in a long series of cease-and-desist letters. But the Mac mini was the last straw. Apple sued Nicholas Ciarelli (his real name) under California's trade secrets act, and as part of a settlement Ciarelli shuttered Think Secret in 2007.

Pour some out for the sites that aren’t here
Kottke.org - April 19, 2017

Think Secret was an early tech blog focused on Apple, back when Apple was very far from the biggest company in the world. Writing and reading about it, especially rumors about new products, was just a weird obsession for a handful of people. Anyways, Think Secret and its editor Nick "dePlume" Ciarelli got sued for violating trade secrets, and Think Secret was shut down as part of a settlement right as the iPhone was turning Apple into the company everybody was talking about all of the time.

The Daily Beast

Not So Secret Apple
The Daily Beast - Oct. 5, 2008

I’ve had the dubious privilege of being on the frontlines of Apple’s war against web leaks. But lately, there are signs that Apple—long the most secretive company in the tech world—has thrown in the towel on fighting leaks.

Tina Brown Launches Daily Beast
Gawker - Oct. 6, 2008

Some traffic-baiting Apple coverage? Yes, there's a column by former Think Secret publisher Nicholas Ciarelli.

Apple no longer sues leakers, says Think Secret blogger
Valleywag - Oct. 6, 2008

Nick dePlume, as the 13-year-old Nicholas Ciarelli dubbed himself in 1998, became more than Internet-famous as the target of an Apple lawsuit. Ciarelli had published leaked details about Apple's Mac Mini two weeks before the hush-hush product's launch.

Think Secret's Nick Ciarelli talks about Apple legal's take on rumors sites
9to5Mac - Oct. 6, 2008

Nick Ciarelli, the then 13-year old founder of Think Secret, who last year settled his lawsuit with Apple as a senior at Harvard (and was subsequently forced to shut down ThinkSecret) today writes a blog post on The Daily Beast. His contention is that Apple has called off the lawyers recently in light of the negative press the lawsuits had caused (and little effect they had on the spread of Apple rumors).

How Obama's New Tech Tsar Can Save America
The Daily Beast - Jan. 6, 2009

Tomorrow, Barack Obama is expected to name the nation's first chief technology officer—the person who will rebuild the White House out of zeros and ones. The Daily Beast consulted with a few of the legends behind today's most influential Web firms, and they dispensed some free advice.

The iTunes Killer
The Daily Beast - Aug. 31, 2009

The European online music service Spotify offers six million tracks—a practically limitless catalog spanning Aaron Copland to ZZ Top—in an interface as polished and intuitive as Apple’s iTunes. And unlike the pay-per-song iTunes, Spotify’s entire library is free for the taking, assuming users can tolerate an occasional advertisement.

The Myth of Wikipedia Democracy
The Daily Beast - Nov. 28, 2009

Wikipedia is renowned for its openness—a Web site so democratic that anyone can edit its pages—but despite the reputation, the site has always been mostly edited by an elite coterie of contributors. And as many of Wikipedia's less hardcore editors flee the site, the free encyclopedia is moving even further in that direction, amounting less to "the wisdom of crowds" than the wisdom of the "in-crowd."

Ciarelli Says Apple's iPad May Not Be a Kindle 'Killer'
Bloomberg Television - Jan. 28, 2010

Nick Ciarelli, a technology writer for The Daily Beast, talks with Bloomberg's Deirdre Bolton about the impact Apple Inc.'s new iPad tablet may have on the electronic-book reader market.

Ciarelli Sees Apple's iPad as 'Opportunity' for Amazon
Bloomberg Television - Mar. 24, 2010

Nick Ciarelli, technology writer for The Daily Beast, talks with Bloomberg's Deirdre Bolton about Amazon.com Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc.'s possible strategy for using Apple Inc.'s new iPad tablet to boost book sales.

Ciarelli Doesn't See Competition Yet for Apple's iPad
Bloomberg Television - April 5, 2010

Nick Ciarelli, technology writer at the Daily Beast, talks with Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker and Scarlet Fu about the outlook for Apple Inc.'s iPad tablet computer.

BookBub

BookBub, Cambridge site promoting free and discounted e-books, approaches one million subscribers
The Boston Globe - March 15, 2013

Closing in on one million subscribers is BookBub, an e-mail newsletter operated out of Cambridge.

One-Day Deals Making E-Books Brief Best Sellers
The New York Times - May 26, 2013

Web sites like BookBub.com, founded last year, track and aggregate bargain-basement deals on e-books, alerting consumers about temporary discounts from retailers like Amazon, Apple, Kobo and Barnes & Noble. "It makes it almost irresistible," said Liz Perl, Simon & Schuster’s senior vice president for marketing. "We’re lowering the bar for you to sample somebody new."

BookBub Raises $3.8M to Help Readers Find E-Book Deals Online
The Wall Street Journal - May 1, 2014

A Cambridge, Mass. startup called Pubmark Inc., better known as BookBub, has raised $3.8 million to help publishers and authors sell their e-books online. Mr. Ciarelli started Think Secret, a blog famous for breaking Apple Inc. news and drawing the ire of Steve Jobs in the dot-com era. He later worked at Newsweek and The Daily Beast.

BookBub Raises $3.8 Million
Publishers Weekly - May 1, 2014

BookBub, a daily deal site for e-books, announced it has raised $3.8 million in Series A funding, the first external capital secured by the company. The investors include NextView Ventures, Founder Collective, Avalon Ventures, and Bloomberg Beta.

BookBub Raises $3.8 Million to Help You Pick Your Next E-book
Mashable - May 1, 2014

One-Liner Pitch: BookBub helps readers discover deals on ebooks from genres they like. Why It's Taking Off: The service is looking to broaden its focus from ebook deals to ebook discovery.

BookBub raises $7M for its global expansion
The Boston Globe - May 19, 2015

Last week, the New England Venture Capital Association named it the Hottest Seed Startup. And the company has just secured $7 million in new equity and debt financing.

BookBub Raises $7M to Help Bookworms Discover New Authors
The Wall Street Journal - May 20, 2015

The Cambridge, Mass., startup BookBub raised $7 million in new venture funding from its existing investors to help authors and publishers reach readers online with free, discounted or new e-books.

Daily E-Book Deals Are Gaining Traction
The Wall Street Journal - Dec. 28, 2015

Every day, the company BookBub.com sends out more than 7 million emails pointing consumers to e-books that cost as little as 99 cents each and free titles as well. BookBub expects to spark the sale of 20 million e-books at its retail partners this year, generating about $30 million in retail sales.

Cool Tools Show 141: Steven Levy
Cool Tools - Sept. 21, 2018

"I use [BookBub] and I have probably 50 books now, some of which I’ll probably read, some of which I won’t read, but I’m happy just to have them. So I think that it’s a great model. Some of my books have been on sale for a couple of bucks, and I’ve bought them on there too."

BookBub Enters Audiobook Space with Chirp
Publishers Weekly - March 7, 2019

BookBub is entering the world of audiobooks with a digital audiobook service called Chirp.

BookBub and an Age-Old Question: What to Read Next?
Publishers Weekly - Dec. 1, 2019

BookBub began with a simple concern. How can technology help unknown writers get discovered?

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