Steve Jobs, pre-Big-and-Bad

Apple and publisher Nicholas Ciarelli have reached an agreement that calls for the shutdown of the popular Mac enthusiast site, Think Secret.

According to court papers, the closing of the site is "a positive solution for both sides."

The two first butted heads back in 2005 when Apple sued Ciarelli, then 19, for publishing Apple trade secrets well before products were announced at the annual MacWorld expo.

Apple accused Ciarelli of "inducing" company employees to disclose trade secrets, leaving broken confidentiality agreements in their wake.

Ciarelli's lawyers asserted he used the same news-gathering tactics as journalists, and is therefore entitled to the same protections. Ciarelli's legal team perceives the settlement as a win for bloggers, according to the Financial Tiimes.

The settlement arrives as Congress made fresh reforms to the Freedom of Information Act. The Act now gives bloggers the same liberties as journalists seeking information.