Ondrej Holzman Lawyers representing the Associated Press, Bloomberg and CNN submitted to Judge Yvonne Rogers a request to release the full resignation Steve Jobs, which was recorded a few months before his death in 2011 and now plays an important role in the iPod and music protection case.
"Given the significant public interest in Steve Jobs' rare posthumous appearance in this trial, there is simply no reason why this video of the deposition should be withheld from the public," Thomas Burke, a lawyer representing all three news organizations, said in Monday's filing.
The plaintiffs, who accuse Apple of harming customers and competitors with changes to iPods and iTunes, were previously asked by Judge Rogers to treat the video featuring the late Apple co-founder as "routine testimony." This means that it can be accessed and written about by those who participate in the trial, but it must not be played elsewhere.
However, the judge did not "seal" this evidence, leaving open the possibility that it could later become public. Thomas Burke had already requested Bill Issacson, Apple's chief lawyer, in an official email on Sunday, but he did not comply. At the same time, news organizations don't want the witness video sealed retroactively because it has already been made public once through courtroom transcripts.
The two-hour statement was given by Steve Jobs in April 2011, six months before his death from pancreatic cancer. Although Jobs does not say any essential information in the video and speaks similarly to his colleagues Eddy Cue and Phil Schiller last week, since it is an unknown recording, it has earned significant attention.
Burke argues that the recording deserves to be released to the public because it is "much more impressive and accurate than any transcript will ever be".
Apple has so far refused to comment on the possibility of publishing Jobs' statement. A lawsuit over whether Apple used its protection system in iTunes and iPods to systematically stop competition, which the indictment alleges, is expected to conclude this week. You can find the complete coverage of the case <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>.
