The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California recently granted Apple's request for a default judgment against prominent tech blogger Jon Prosser, marking a significant breakthrough in the trade secrets lawsuit that began in July 2024. The case centers on Prosser's illegal acquisition and disclosure of confidential information about the unreleased iOS 26, including details of its signature "Liquid Design" feature.
According to Apple's complaint, Prosser and co-defendant Michael Ramacciotti conspired to hack into the development iPhone of former employee Ethan Lipnik. While staying at Lipnik's residence, Ramacciotti used location tracking to determine when he was out of the office, cracked the device's passcode, and then showed Prosser the unreleased iOS interface via video call. Prosser not only recorded the entire process but also made a video of the confidential content available on his YouTube channel, monetizing it through advertising. Apple alleges this conduct violates the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and seeks an injunction against further disclosure and monetary damages.
Although Prosser initially denied the allegations and expressed a willingness to communicate with Apple, he never submitted a response within the statutory deadline. While the other defendant, Ramajoti, was granted an extension until October 17th, Prosser's absence led to Apple successfully obtaining a default judgment on October 10th. Legal experts point out that Prosser can still apply to have his default judgment lifted, but he will need to prove legitimate reasons for not responding. As the trial of the other defendant is still ongoing, a final judgment may be issued after the entire case is concluded. This case has once again sparked heated debate in the tech industry about the boundary between trade secret protection and media access to information.
