Apple fires back hard at news organizations for demanding to see Steve Jobs depo video
As anticipated, Apple has taken an extremely strong stance against a request from three news organizations to see the release of a videotaped deposition of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The deposition itself was conducted in April of 2011, a few months before Jobs passed. A motion from the news organizations involved in the request -- Bloomberg, CNN, and the AP -- argues that releasing the video is in the public interest given Jobs' position as a notable and recognizable figure of influence.
Apple of course, which has a long history of being protective of Jobs' image and likeness, sees things much differently. Mincing no words, Apple lawyers categorized the request as exploitive while adding that it serves no necessary purpose.
On Tuesday, reporters for The Verge were in attendance when Apple's lawyers presented their position before US district court judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
Apple's lawyer Jonathan Sherman, a partner at law firm Boies, Schiller, and Flexner accused Burke and the media companies of being opportunistic during a hearing in Oakland's federal court building this evening.
"The marginal value of seeing him again, in his black turtleneck - this time very sick - is small," Sherman said, contrasting that with high-profile appearances like Apple product releases, and when Jobs stumped for a new campus at a city council meeting in Cupertino. "What they they want is a dead man, and they want to show him to the rest of the world, because it's a judicial record." Burke replied by saying it was not a frivolous request, and calling the testimony "invaluable."
Judge Rogers hasn't yet ruled on the issue and it'll be interesting to see where she lands on the matter.
