30 May 2006
Online journalists have the same rights as traditional reporters, a Californian court has ruled.
The decision was made in a case brought by Apple against a number of reporters who published information online about a future Apple product launch.
Apple filed the lawsuit to find out the source of the reporter’s information.
But judges said that online journalists have the same right to protect the confidentiality of their sources as offline media.
“Today’s decision is a victory for the rights of journalists, whether online or offline, and for the public at large,” said Attorney Kurt Opsahl of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital rights organisation who have been defending the journalists.
Unlawful
The case began when Apple sued a number of unknown individuals, or “John Does”, who leaked information about the launch of a FireWire audio interface for the Mac music program Garage Band.
Details of the release were published on news sites PowerPage and Apple Insider.
Apple argued that as the leaked information was confidential, the publishers of the site had to reveal their sources.
The judges presiding over the case disagreed.
“We decline the implicit invitation to embroil ourselves in questions of what constitutes ‘legitimate journalism’,” they said.
“We can think of no workable test or principle that would distinguish ‘legitimate’ from ‘illegitimate’ news,” they concluded.
The online journalists are protected by California’s Shield Law, as well as the country’s constitution, said the judges.
In an attempt to uncover the source of the leak Apple had also subpoenaed Nfox.com, the e-mail service provider for PowerPage, to hand over messages that may identify the leak.
However the judges ruled that the subpoena was unlawful.
It is not known whether Apple plan to appeal against the decision.
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
