See this article in ComputerWorld and this blog post from Saul Hansell of the New York Times and this blog post from a lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Nicholas Ciarelli aka Nick dePlume and his bonehead lawyer (photo) are working overtime to claim victory in a case that ended with Nick having to shut down his blog. Money quote from Nick’s lawyer cited in the CW article: “The First Amendment has prevailed,” said Terry Gross of Gross & Belsky LLP, “and every Internet journalist should feel some strength from what’s happened.” That is followed soon after by this gem: “Today, unlike blogosphere commentators, Gross claimed the settlement was a loss for Apple, not Ciarelli or other bloggers.”

A loss for Apple? A victory for the First Amendment? Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick. This is straight out of Orwell.

Later Gross says, “I would have loved for Apple to go forward on this.” Oh really? Then why did you take the money and run?

Yup, feel strength, O bloggers. Know that should you ever get into trouble with a big huge mean-ass company, your EFF-appointed lawyer will make sure your blog gets its punk ass shut down. Great work, EFF. You’ve struck a blow for freedom.