Who’s that guy with the iPhone 4G? That’s Jason Chen, one of the editors at Gizmodo and the guy being held responsible for the recent iPhone 4G leak. I say being held responsible because it appears California law enforcement raided his home looking for the prototype phone he leaked last week, confiscating computers, cameras, and servers in the process.

Gawker Media COO Gaby Darbyshire issued a response to law enforcement officials stating that they had an invalid warrant because of Chen’s status as a journalist under California law. Legal details aside, you can see Jason’s account of the story at Gizmodo. Whatever the decision, this seems like some fairly extreme action on the part of Cali law. First there has to be proof that the phone was stolen, rather than left in the bar. Secondly, that journalism thing makes it pretty hard to prosecute a guy who works from home as the editor of one of the most prominent tech blogs in the world on the grounds that he’s not a journalist.

Whatever the outcome, this is a big win for Apple. The buzz around the new iPhone is as hot as it has ever been thanks to the leak. This only turns up the heat.

Valleywag, one of Gawker Media’s sites, recently set up a scavenger hunt for info concerning Apple’s upcoming tablet. The contest was pretty cool, offering up to $100,000 for a chance to look at the thing. It got something, too, though I don’t think it will be giving the grand prize to Apple.

See, Apple sent Gawker a cease and desist for the scavenger hunt, something they probably wouldn’t bother to do if the device was fake. It’s a weird kind of confirmation, but a smart play on the part of Gawker. A hundred-thousand dollars sounds great, even for an Apple employee. And you can bet Gawker would be discrete if it meant a chance to have a hands-on with the tablet.

Here’s a little excerpt of the letter:

“While Apple values and appreciates vibrant public commentary about its products, we believe you and your company have crossed the line by offering a bounty for the theft of Apple’s trade secrets. Such an offer is illegal and Apple insists that you immediately discontinue the Scavenger Hunt.”

The rest is a bunch of chest-beating legalese. You can read the rest over at Gizmodo.