Is “Fake Steve” in Trouble with the Real Steve Jobs?

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

When I wrote about the closure of Think Secret, I wondered what the next rumor site that Big Brother, I mean Apple, would target was. I certainly didn’t think they would go after Fake Steve, or Daniel Lyons, and his “Secret Diary of Steve Jobs” satire blog. And honestly, I still don’t.

In a post on his blog, one that a lot of blogs and sites have jumped on, Fake Steve wrote that “he’s weighing an offer from Apple.”

Bottom line is I’ve received an overture from the Mothership with a mention of a Think Secret type settlement if I’ll stop impersonating Dear Leader on the Web. Nothing nailed down at this point but frankly, honestly, I’m tempted to just take it.

A later post, purportedly from an Apple lawyer, said,

Apple’s lawyers have identified at least three posts in my archive that they “deem to be actionable.”

So let’s examine things calmly (while admitting we could be completely wrong).

1) It’s a satire site. Everyone knows it. No rumors, a la Think Secret. What’s there to sue over?

2) Just last year the real Steve Jobs said,

“I have read some of those Fake Steve Jobs blog entries lately, and I thought they were pretty funny. And I get asked a lot if I know who it is, but I don’t. And it is pretty funny.”

I can’t believe he’d do something after admitting his amusement at the site.

3) Just a few days ago Fake Steve posted a “story” about a “Blogger Amnesty Program,” whereby Apple bloggers would accept a cash payment in return for a promise never to write another word about Apple for as long as they live. Though it was written right after the Think Secret closure, it makes this story seem more like a continuation than anything else.

4) The site is labeled “A Forbes.com site.” Because of that, I’m pretty sure the posts he writes are Forbes material, and thus if Apple wanted to sue anyone, it’d have to be Forbes, not Fake Steve. Thus, Lyons shouldn’t be worried about his personal assets.

5) In addition, the latest post at the site (at the time of this writing) seems more like satire than anything else, if you read it.

6) Can I say it again? This is a satire site. Satirizing this type of thing based on the Think Secret closure is perfect for this site.

We Say: As I said, a lot of blogs have jumped on this story, ranting against Apple as Big Brother, and so forth and so on. Oops. I could be completely wrong, but if I’m right, and I think I am, Dec. 22 just became the new April 1.