Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!mit-eddie!killer!pollux!ti-csl!m2!holland
From: holland@m2.csc.ti.com (Fred Hollander)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Price Lists, Rumors
Message-ID: <75461@ti-csl.csc.ti.com>
Date: 21 Apr 89 19:51:08 GMT
References: <6842@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> <23349@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <6878@bsu-cs.bsu.edu>
Sender: news@ti-csl.csc.ti.com
Reply-To: holland@m2.UUCP (Fred Hollander)
Organization: TI Computer Science Center, Dallas
Lines: 44

In article <6878@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> mithomas@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Michael Thomas Niehaus) writes:
>> In article <6842@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> I write:
>>Well, here are the latest rumors that I have heard:
>
>Today I received a letter from an Apple employee commenting about this
>posting.  He expressed displeasure with the content of my posting, and reminded
>me that I am under a non-disclosure contract with Apple.  Just to prove to him
>that I have read it, here are the major points:
>
>1.  CONSULTANT shall not...divulge to any unauthorized person any information
>    designated as confidential by Apple.
>2.  The restrictions shall not apply to information which (a) is known to
>    CONSULTANT at the time of disclosure to CONSULTANT by APPLE, (b) has become
>    publicly known through no wrongful act of CONSULTANT, (c) has been right-

>Most all rumors that I have heard have come from one of several trade publica-
>tions, including ComputerWorld, MacWEEK, Macworld, MacUser, various user's
>group newsletters, and correspondence on the Usenet with other non-Apple
>employees.  This type of information falls under categories (b) and (c)
>generally.
>

I don't know all the details here, so this may not be totally
appropriate.  In general you need to be careful discussing
confidential or proprietary information even if it is discussed in
public.  If it appears in an unofficial discussion or article (such as
a rumors column), it is not yet "public information" as in 2.b.  If
you discuss this information after appearing in a rumors column, then
you are endorsing it, making it an official announcement.  Before it
qualifies as public information, there must be an official public
release.

I've know cases where confidential information appeared in sources
such as Aviation Week.  But, the information remained confidential!
It's an uncomfortable feeling when everyone else can discuss something
that you know about, but you need to be quiet because it's
"confidential".

Fred Hollander
Computer Science Center
Texas Instruments, Inc.
hollander@ti.com

The above statements are my own and not representative of Texas Instruments.