Steve Jobs' deposition video in iPod antitrust trial won't be made public after all
Apple has won court approval in its legal battle against media organizations who wanted to publicize Steve Jobs’ deposition video in the just concluded iPod antitrust trial.
Last week, the Associated Press, Bloomberg, and CNN filed a motion to have the video released to the public, arguing that the testimony was “invaluable” since the late Apple cofounder and CEO was not a “typical trial witness.” Apple then effectively accused the media organizations of being opportunistic in their desire to show “a dead man” in making the video public.
Today, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has ruled (see document below) in favor of Apple and the plaintiffs in the case in keeping the video out of the public eye, saying it “should be treated in the same manner as any other live testimony offered at trial.”
As noted by AppleInsider:
For its part, Apple noted the court has a duty to protect witness testimony. If the Jobs Deposition were made public, it might set a dangerous precedent for the release of videotaped testimony from other high-profile witnesses in future cases. For witnesses in compromising situations, the prospect of having their sworn statements broadcast out of court would likely dissuade testimony, hindering the legal process.
If you can’t see the document embedded above, please click here.
In the videotaped deposition, which was recorded six months before his death in 2011 and played in court a couple of weeks ago, Jobs said that the digital rights management protocols that Apple was accused by the lawsuit’s plaintiffs of having used to cripple competition were implemented as part of the company’s copyright contracts with music labels.
Yesterday, Apple was declared not guilty of wrongdoing after the jury found that Apple did not violate antitrust laws when it released iTunes 7.0 in 2006. The $350 million lawsuit involved a class of customers who purchased early models of Apple’s iPod music player between September 2006 and March 2009.
See also: Apple CEO Tim Cook sends holiday email, announces ‘biggest ever’ donation to (RED), App updates submitted from June 2015 on must offer 64-bit support, be built with the iOS 8 SDK, and Expect huge App Store discounts, app updates in the coming days.