iPhone Winterboarder

It's 5 years old but it is oh so funny.

Subject: Re: Illegal Dissemination of Apple Intellectual Property
From: anakata
To: IRamage@OMM.com

> April 21, 2005
>
> VIA EMAIL
>
> NOT FOR POSTING
>
> Fredrik Neij
> Registrant of www.piratebay.org
>
> Re:      Apple Intellectual Property Disseminated by
> www.piratebay.org
>
> Dear Mr. Neij:
>
> We represent Apple Computer, Inc.  On or before April 21, 2005, the
> site www.piratebay.org was in the process of distributing and/or
> facilitating the distribution of a misappropriated copy of an
> unreleased version of Apple's operating system software, Tiger 10.4,
> Build 8A428.  The software constitutes an Apple trade secret and is
> copyrighted.  

Awh, come on, I've heard the expression "a few bad apples", but this is
just ridiculous.

> Apple has a well-known, longstanding policy of closely guarding
> information about its unreleased products as trade secrets.  

I've heard that before somewhere. I just can't remember where...

> We demand that you immediately disable the torrent and/or tracker and
> prevent further distribution of Apple's trade secret and copyrighted
> material.

We demand that you provide us with entertainment by sending more legal
threats. Please?

> Apple further demands that you provide us with all information
> relating to the posting of torrents enabling the distribution of Mac
> OS X Tiger, Build 8A428, including all log files and tracker files
> associated with such torrents.  Apple also demands all information
> related to the identity of the persons who created such torrent files
> and/or who uploaded the software referenced by those torrent files, as
> well as the identities of all individuals who participated in the
> uploading and downloading of Apple's software.  If you fail to
> maintain the evidence of this illegal activity, you will be subject to
> severe sanctions.  In particular, if you destroy or hide any evidence,
> you will be subject to civil and criminal penalties.  Please produce
> all requested information by the end of the day, Friday, April 22,
> 2005. 

Even if we had that information, which we don't, do you really think we
would provide it to you? 

> Builds of unreleased Apple software are distributed under strict
> confidentiality agreements.  Your torrent site appears to be engaged
> in a practice of soliciting and disseminating Apple trade secrets.
> This practice is grounds for both civil and criminal liability.  To
> avoid further liability, you must refrain from inducing the breach of
> any Apple confidentiality agreements, soliciting Apple trade secrets,
> and distributing Apple trade secrets on your site. 

...Or what? You and Hans Brix will send us angry letters? Fortunately
for you, we don't keep sharks as pets. 

> Apple is prepared to take further actions to stop the sites illegal
> activities, and Apple expressly reserves its rights.  I am available
> to discuss this matter at any time. If you are represented by counsel
> in this matter, please provide me with the identity of that counsel. 

Instead of simply recommending that you sodomize yourself with a
retractable baton, let me recommend a specific model - the ASP 21". The
previous lawyers tried to use a cheaper brand, but it broke during the
action. 

>
> Sincerely,
>
> Ian Ramage
> OMelveny & Myers LLP
> Embarcadero Center West
> 275 Battery Street, Suite 2600
> (415) 984-8783 (direct)
> (415) 984-8701 (fax)
> iramage@omm.com
>
> This message and any attached documents contain information from the
> law firm of OMelveny & Myers LLP that may be confidential and/or
> privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you may not read,
> copy, distribute, or use this information. If you have received this
> transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply
> e-mail and then delete this message.

It's OK with you that we post this message on
http://static.thepiratebay.org/legal/ ? Because I just did, and I'm so
afraid of you and your nice titles and shiny offices :-(.

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This is first Saurik’s TV appearance.  However the producers avoided any hint of jailbreaking.  Most likely if they do Apple will pull their advertising.

You can catch it again on CNBC:

Sunday, January 10th  11p ET
Monday, January 18th  11a ET

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Winterboarder.com website and the Cydia Winterboarder Themeatorium Repo will be down for maintenance on December 16 2009.  My Host will be upgrading the switches on my server rack for better redundancy and speed.

SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE NOTICE:

Maintenance Window:  12/16/09 0000 CST – 12/16/09 0400 CST

Expected Impact:  All affected customers will experience between 10-20 minutes of downtime.

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South Korean regulatory body gave Apple a business license that would enable the company to offer the iPhone.

According to PCWord:
The license allows Apple to operate location-based services in the country itself and clears the last regulatory hurdle for the handset, said Oh Sang-jin, director of the privacy protection and ethics section of the Korea Communications Commission.

Earlier this year the regulator moved to allow Apple to apply for the license itself rather than obliging it to seek a local operator to run the location services and manage privacy issues concerning user data.

The regulator has said that the move was partly aimed to avoid limiting choices for users in a country where LG Electronics and Samsung, both local vendors, dominate the handset market.

South Korean carrier KT has said it is in talks with Apple about offering the iPhone. SK Telecom, another local carrier, is also reportedly in talks with Apple.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on plans to launch the iPhone in South Korea.

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It has come to light through MuscleNerd from the iPhoneDev Team that the new iPhone 3GS units are being shipped with a new bootrom chip that is resistant to the 24kPwn exploit used in the jailbreak process.

Quote: MuscleNerd
“oh oh, from what @cpich3g + @Mathieulh have found so far, a normal untethered JB may be in jeopardy in brand new 3GS units”

This latest move on Apple”’’s part is to stop people from using their devices as they see fit and gain control over user experience.  I am not surprised that Apple has not taken a stronger legal venue to stop jailbreaking, because after all we are an endless source of ideas, new technologies and original content that they can easily steal since they pushed us near illegality.   We are used for their Quality Assurance and discover their major bugs and holes without being detrimental to our own devices nor being payed.  It”’’s nice to use people”’’s work for free and profit from it, after all we are the “bad guys” who aid bandits and terrorists.

Did anybody wonder how Copy and Paste feature came into being???  It came first to to us the jailbreak community, and I can bet that Apple didn””t pay a dime to the original author.  There is a lot more that Apple is stealing from us and claims it”’’s theirs.  It”’’s too profitable for them to just stop jailbreaking altogether. So the cat and mouse game continues, after all we gotta find the vulnerability in the new bootrom. Who else has the imagination and motivation to do it? I bet it”’’s not a underplayed and overworked employee.  So keep it up Apple !!! When you will win that will be the end of the iPhone era because by then all the other manufactures will learn what not to do and how to treat their clients.

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In a bid to save face for both companies Google CEO Eric Schmidt stepped down from his position on Apple Board of Directors.  This may be too little to late considering that the two companies are under the microscope because of the FCC inquiry into the Google Voice app mess.  They are citing a conflict of interest for reaching this decision, however it became way to obvious Google and Apple are working together against Microsoft and other competitors.  I believe we will see allot more dirt come up if the FTC and SEC get involved in this, but this is a perfect time to blow this over since our politicians are busy with spending our money on other bull shit before their vacation.

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Last week Apple pushed onto the internet media warnings against jailbreaking while quietly released firmware 3.0.1 to fix their major security hole in the SMS system. This hole was there all along for years and only when it was publicized Apple did anything for it, and from the looks of it 3.0.1 fixes only one vulnerability.
Some of the people attending the Black Hat 2009 are quickly realizing that mobile devices and especially iPhones are basically Swiss cheese when it comes to security.

• Firmware 3.0.1 barely scratches the surface when it comes to fixing the SMS vulnerability.  SMS still remains a high risk.
• The app update process can be hijacked and instead of updates you install malicious code.
• Devices can be hijacked to deliver DoS attacks
• Take over other devices on the same network.

All this without having the device jailboken..  So it”’’s not a surprise why Apple is trying to push thir own shortcomings on the jailbreak community.

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Finally after all this time The Federal Communication Commission is looking into Apple’s AppStore Submission process and business model.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the FCC has begun investigating Apple’s rejection of Google’s official Google Voice application and the subsequent removal of similar third-party apps from the App Store. Google submitted the app, it was rejected, then third-party GV apps were then pulled, everyone was pissed, somehow heat was deflected on AT&T, AT&T cried fowl. Well apparently the FCC has decided to step in. The WSJ reports that letters were sent from the FCC to Apple, AT&T and Google seeking information on the matter. Specifically, “the FCC asked why Apple rejected the Google Voice application for the iPhone and removed related applications from its App Store. The letter also seeks information on how AT&T, the exclusive U.S. iPhone carrier, was consulted in the decision, if at all.” The Journal claims to have obtained the letter that was sent to Apple, which you’ll find in its entirety after the jump. We truly hope that the FCC manages to take Apple down a peg where its ridiculous app approval process is concerned. I won””t be surprised if they find that Apple and Google conspired on this in order to kick competing applications out. I would really like to see the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) also involved in this because they are the once who actually deal with unfair and monopolistic trade practices and also with consumer protection. The FCC doesn’t really have much power over this issue. It’s a start at least.

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