iPhone 4 prototype investigation draws to a close

Chief deputy district attorney Stephen Wagstaffe of San Mateo County, CA has said that police are finishing up their investigation of the iPhone 4 prototype case, and may send a report within the next few weeks. The report will determine whether or not San Mateo County will file criminal charges.

Wagstaffe has also indicated that Steve Jobs and many other Apple employees have been interviewed over the course of the investigation. The investigation covers what began with one Brian Hogan discovering a thinly disguised iPhone 4 prototype at a Redwood City bar. Hogan then sold the device to Gizmodo for $5000.

After being contacted by Apple, Gizmodo editor Brian Lam agreed to return the device in exchange for written confirmation that it was indeed an Apple prototype. Gizmodo reporter Jason Chen's home was then raided and his electronics confiscated as evidence.

What do you think? Should Brian Hogan be charged? Did Gizmodo have a journalistic right to report on the iPhone 4, or were they obligated to return the quasi-stolen property without any report?

source: AppleInsider

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