Topic: iPhone Finder Regrets His ‘Mistake’

[sam]

The person who found and sold an Apple iPhone prototype says he regrets not doing more to return the device to its owner, according to a statement provided by his attorney Thursday in response to queries from Wired.com.

Read More http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/04/iphone-finder/


I wonder what they could charge him with? corporate espionage? not sure its that really.

[Simon]

Intresting case.  I wonder how much Apple are spending on legal fees at the moment?

[Rik]

I wonder what they could charge him with? corporate espionage? not sure its that really.

I'd have thought it's a simple case of theft, Sam.

[Simon]

Finders keepers?

[Rik]

No such thing in law, Simon.

[Simon]

But it's not theft though, is it? 

[Rik]

Yes. If you find something, under English law, you are required to hand it to the police. If not claimed within a set period, it then becomes yours. To find it and sell it, making no effort to return it, is theft in most jurisdictions.

[sam]

hmmm... something tells me in the US its more like finders keepers with their mentality but the law is actually probably the same.