How can I prove that I own my Apple devices as private property

neo-neatness wrote:

Can I call Apple or can someone help me confirm these purchases?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

receipt

If you purchased your Mac from Apple, you can request a receipt from the retail location. 

Check your email for a copy of the receipt. Here’s how to locate the Apple Store and their contact information: Apple Store - Find a Store - Apple Apple Store - Find a Store - Apple

If your purchase was made at the Apple Online Store, please view the section titled “View or Print Invoice” here: Viewing & Changing Orders - Shopping Help - Apple Viewing & Changing Orders - Shopping Help - Apple

If your mac was purchased from an Apple Authorized Reseller, it is recommend contacting them directly for a receipt.

neo-neatness wrote:

The Apple Store associate asked me what I would be using the MacBook Pro for when I purchased it. I told him I would be editing an indie movie on it.

I have used the MacBook Pro as my personal property, which includes work things here and there.

It’s personal property. I don’t own a company that it would be company property for.

I don’t need to share the device with co-workers, so how do I change the default settings to stop sharing?

Thanks, Steve626.

Life is not like a Hollywood film, alas. Security works rather differently than how it is often portrayed. Sometimes worse yes, but far more often better.

Apple uses safe defaults for macOS settings. Apple also incorporates security into macOS, including built-in malware scanning, the app store, and the secure system volume. Among various other features.

To learn more about how to review the security of your Apple ID and how to check your settings, see the following, and also use Safety Check described here:

… Personal Safety User Guide - Apple Support

As is often cited, keep macOS and apps updated to current, keep backups, use unique and robust passwords and a password manager such as iCloud Keychain, enable two-factor authentication on your Apple ID, and keep using the Mac for filmography; for what you bought it for.

neo-neatness wrote:

I need to prove that I own my Apple devices as private property.

Some softwares are able to access my saved files. This would require other users to share ownership of my private property (my devices).

I purchased all of my Apple products with payment methods that were entirely my private funds without any cosigners. Everything was paid in full on the initial transaction.

I haven’t received legal orders to surrender any personal possessions.

I purchased my devices from the Apple Store or a telecommunications retailer directly. This was over the past several years. Can I call Apple or can someone help me confirm these purchases?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

I have no idea what is going on here...

but it sounds to me you need legal advise from a qualified legal advocate/service, not a user to user community tech support forum.

neo-neatness wrote:

I need to prove that I own my Apple devices as private property.

Some softwares are able to access my saved files. This would require other users to share ownership of my private property (my devices).

To access your saved files, someone need not be the owner of your Mac nor do they need to share ownership. All they need is remote access to your Mac.

To prevent remote access of your files, disable Sharing, disable other forms of remote access, and use a user password and an Apple ID password that no one else knows and cannot be guessed in any reasonable amount of time.

All forms of Sharing are OFF by default.

Sharing such as File sharing is only enabled when you activate it in

System preferences > Sharing

When activated, Users you allow to be present on your network (a near insurmountable hurdle all by itself, unless you take many additional steps) can read a subset of authorized items when they supply appropriate credentials -- equivalent to what they would need to access those files if logged in directly.

Iin addition, Sharing literally means a one-way Sharing. There is NO reciprocity.

The Mac is inherently a Multiple-User system, even if you choose to create only one User. User files are protected from any other Users you decide to create, and the files of any User are only available to a User who has the password required to log on at that User.

Can I call Apple or can someone help me confirm these purchases?

I'm not certain if anyone directly addressed that question, but the answer is no.

Apple does not retain that information, nor would I want them to. At the very least it would be an invasion of privacy. I would not purchase a Mac under those conditions.

Once a Mac sold, it's out of their hands — literally — as it should be.

FYI: Keep your receipt after you buy an Apple device - Apple Support

Additionally, proving ownership is normally done by being able to provide receipts.