Apple strikes back - the police searches Gizmodo editor's house

We are sure all of you are already familiar with the tale of the lost and found iPhone 4G prototype. It seems Apple won't give up until "justice" is served to all, whose hands touched the device, despite the fact that they received their device back.

The San Mateo police investigation reached the front door of Gizmodo's editor Jason Chen (author of the articles about the new iPhone)…and blasted through it. California's REACT unit (Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team) acquired a search warrant for Chen's home as part of the investigation of the lost iPhone 4G. They are now involved since obviously Apple have declared the prototype as stolen.

Last Friday Jason Chen wasn't at home, so the search team broke his front door in order to gain access to his home. It appears the invasion in Chen's house continued for several hours, but thankfully the REACT guys didn't break anything else.

At the end of the day the police took three MacBooks, one iPad, one iPhone, three external USB drives, Motorola A855, IBM ThinkPad, two Dell desktop PCs, HP MediaSmart server, two digital cameras, three USB sticks and more.

According to Gawker Media the search warrant is invalid, because the Californian law protects the journalist's source. But we guess the police is jumping on the only possible lead they've got to find the guy who found the prototype and sold it to Gizmodo. Yup, the same guy who reached Apple personally to offer to return the lost iPhone, only to get laughed at.

Currently the investigation is on hold, because of the source protection law and it's up to the District Attorney to decide what happens next.

Whatever the truth turns out to be, the story is already becoming too ugly. The raid on Chen's home and every similar action in this investigation will do little more but throw mud in Apple's face.

Grey Powell might be the guy that lost the prototype, but Apple screwed up big time by dismissing the anonymous person who tried to return it. The company is bearing the fruits of their own arrogance and they better give up on this case before they make complete fools out of themselves.

Plus the fact that such an attack is directed at one of the most pro-Apple online medias is disturbing enough on its own.

Source