The Judge in California totally (and intentionally) blew by the question of journalistic confidentiality ruling that stolen information is just that, stolen information. Regardless of who has stolen information — journalist or not — they need to divulge from whence it came. This is exactly what we said previously.
A C|Net article quotes the judges opinion which states that in this case the confidential information “is stolen property, just as any physical item, such as a laptop computer containing the same information on its hard drive (or not) would be… The bottom line is there is no exception or exemption in either the (Uniform Trade Secrets Act) or the Penal Code for journalists–however defined–or anyone else.”
The judge did allow time for an emergency appeal before compelling the disclosures.
