Apple and Think Secret, a Mac rumor Web site published by Nicholas M. Ciarelli, have come to an agreement in a nearly three-year-old lawsuit. The financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Ciarelli has agreed to shut down ThinkSecret.com.

Ciarelli posted a press release on his Web site that said the agreement results in a “positive solution” for both sides. “I’m pleased to have reached that amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits,” Ciarelli said in a statement.

Apple was not immediately available for comment.

Ciarelli’s Argument

Apple targeted Ciarelli with a lawsuit after he posted details about the Mac Mini computer prior to an official announcement at January 2005’s MacWorld. The suit additionally named Ciarelli’s company, dePlume Organization LLC.

The suit claimed that Ciarelli induced company employees to break confidentiality agreements with Apple. Ciarelli, the complaint argued, obtained the data illegally by posting

an online desire for Apple insiders to reveal trade secrets.

Ciarelli, who was plus an editor at the Harvard Crimson, launched Think Secret when he was 13 years old. After Apple filed suit against Ciarelli, he told the Harvard Crimson he had a right to the same protections as other investigative journalists.

“I talk to sources of data, investigate tips, follow up on leads, and corroborate details. I believe these practices are reflected in Think Secret’s track record,” he told the paper in 2005. Ciarelli’s attorney based his arguments on the First Amendment right to free speech. Ciarelli had a right to publish the knowledge, he said, considering it was legally obtained.

Controlling the note

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