As we noted earlier today, several media outlets have filed a motion that would allow them to air the videotaped deposition of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that was played for jurors in the ongoing iPod antitrust lawsuit. Now the Verge reports that Apple is fighting back against the motion, with the company’s lawyers accusing the media of wanting to see “a dead man.”
As Apple attorney Jonathan Sherman put it:
The marginal value of seeing him again, in his black turtleneck — this time very sick — is small. What they want is a dead man, and they want to show him to the rest of the world, because it’s a judicial record.
Because the deposition was not entered into evidence as an exhibit, Apple’s lawyers argue, the press does not necessarily need have access to it. Since court proceedings are not allowed to be recorded on video without permission from the judge, District Judge Yvonne Rogers has said that she does not think the deposition should be released at the time, but she will continue to consider both sides of the question.
The media outlets requesting access to the video will have until the end of the week to file further arguments in favor of allowing the video to be aired. Meanwhile, Apple’s lawyers are reviewing a new set of plaintiffs in the case after the previous group was disqualified at the beginning of the week.
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Can’t his estate get involved?
If it were possible to view his corpse, they would want it.
I find it sick too. The guy has only been dead for a few years and a second movie is trying to take off. Maybe someone should block the movie studios.
Well, we see pictures and videos of MLK and JFK all the time. I don’t see anyone getting hot under the collar when both of them are shown. The argument should be treat this case the same as other cases. If video is allowed in other cases the same rule should apply here.
By the way 9to5Mac what’s your position? You guys are the bastion of journalistic integrity.
If it should be treated like other cases, then it would not be released. This isn’t a public video, this was a private deposition and it was done by video for time and efficiency, not for public consumption. People want to see it because Jobs is sick in it and its a rare video of him near the end.
All depositions are held in a private setting (usually the complaining parties lawyers office). Just because testimony is acquired in private does not mean that information will remain private once in a court of law. With few exceptions, everything becomes public once in the courtroom.
the information is not private… Anybody present when the deposition was played could have written it down verbatim and posted it anywhere… they still can do that using the court transcript (I guess). The issue is about releasing the video itself.
Sherman is wrong.
The sheep are wrong. You can’t continually worship this guy and then complain when people want to see him from beyond the grave.
My money is on no video releases to media or shown outside the courtroom but a transcript will be made available after the suit is over and Apple is mailing our checks.
Of course, any reporter covering this trial who hears Jobs deposition can create their own transcript.
Release of only a transcript will protect Apple by not revealing Jobs’ demeanor.
Disclosure:
Meant to say “mailing out checks.”
I have no financial stake in this issue.
imm*ral company with immoral Jobs
completely r*tten company with completely r*tten executives
better do not support such the r*tten companies!