iPhone 4G's 'immensely damaging' leak cost Apple sales

With Apple's upcoming iPhone being shown off on every gadget blog under the sun, would you go out and buy an iPhone 3GS? No, and Apple agrees, saying that the early reveal was a huge loss to the company.

Not that any sane or remotely savvy user would buy an iPhone in the months preceding June, considering Apple's track record. But lawyer George Riley, who represents the Cupertino tech giant, stands firm that Gizmodo's reveal has financially damaged the smartphone designer.

This information comes from the ongoing case's affidavit, after lawyers representing media companies argued that it should be unsealed, allowing the content to be published online.

The 22 page document contains the search warrants for Jason Chen's home, conversations between the judge and senior members of Apple, an email between Gawker's Brian Lam and Steve Jobs, and the entire story in excruciating detail.

The highlight? The phrase "maybe some spankings" used in an official court document.

Brian Hogan, the iPhone finder who sold it to Gizmodo, comes across as kind of a jackass in this story. When his room-mate (who eventually dobbed Hogan in to the police) pleaded with him not to sell the phone, Hogan said, "Sucks for him. Shouldn't have lost this phone."

The case is still very much under progress. The Californian police still have Jason Chen's computers, but cannot process them until the legality of their seizure is decided.