Nick Ciarelli (of the defunct Apple rumor site ThinkSecret.com) describes a recent shift in Apple’s strategy to suppress product leaks in an article at a web site:

“But lately, there are signs that Apple — long the most secretive company in the tech world — has thrown in the towel on fighting leaks. This year, advance details about a number of Apple products spilled onto the web, including photos of the iPhone 3G and the latest lineup of iPod nanos.”

Recent product photo leaks including the 4th Generation iPod Nano and iPhone 3G have been left unchallenged by Apple’s legal team, where historically, Apple would have sent legions of lawyers to challenge websites hosting such images.

Apple may be realizing how fruitless this type of activity is. It creates a feeling of resentment and anger anomg the very people who pay Apple’s bills: The users and the community. Rumor and leak sites are the kind of marketing you can’t buy, and Apple is finally seeing the light.