If he had said: "I'm going to go to the press on this date. You can buy the information from me before that for X amount of money."
That would be an ordinary business transaction. Instead, what he said was something like: "Pay me lots of money or I will go to the press in such a way as to damage you the most."
That is blackmail. It's clear that the money is to prevent the damage, not just for the information.
I agree. It seems a bit like blackmail to me. These 'consultants' would have better off having friends buy put options on Netscape stock prior to the phone call. Then if Netscape won't pay their price they get the money from the market when they make the information public, including the source code. Spare me the insider trading rants. --Ste5e PGP mail preferred Fingerprint: FE 90 1A 95 9D EA 8D 61 81 2E CC A9 A4 4A FB A9 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Schear | tel: (702) 658-2654 CEO | fax: (702) 658-2673 First ECache Corporation | 7075 West Gowan Road | Suite 2148 | Las Vegas, NV 89129 | Internet: azur@netcom.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- I know not what instruments others may use, but as for me, give me Ecache or give me debt. SHOW ME THE DIGITS!