Apple’s Lawyers Put the Kibosh on $100,000 Scavenger Hunt

Oh Ohs! Apple’s lawyers are in a tizzy after website ValleyWag offered up a $100,000 cash reward for anyone with photo proof of the company’s supposed tablet. Yesterday the site offered up to $10,000 to the first person who could provide a photo of the yet to be unveiled device and $100,000 if you snapped a picture of Steve Jobs with one. Turns out Apple’s lawyers don’t like to play games.

In a letter to the website, Michael Spillner of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe law firm demanded the so called “scavenger hunt” be stopped immediately. Take a look at this excerpt from the letter:

While Apple values and appreciates vibrant public commentary about its products, we believe you and your company have crossed the line by offering a bounty for the theft of Apple’s trade secrets. Such an offer is illegal and Apple insists that you immediately discontinue the Scavenger Hunt

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The information you are willing to pay for, such as photos of a yet-to-be released product, constitutes Apple trade secrets.

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Apple has maintained the types of information and things you are soliciting—”how it’ll work, its size, the name, the software,” as well as any possible details about the product’s appearance, features, and physical samples—in strict confidence.”

The website claims this is proof the tablet does exist and has declared Michael Spillner the winner of the scavenger hunt.

Here’s a look at the letter in full:

[Via Gawker]