This Gizmodo/iPhone 4G story sure has some legs, don’t it?

While Gizmodo is reaping all of the pageview rewards for its expose on Apple’s upcoming iPhone, it appears that Engadget was offered a similar purchasing opportunity but decided to turn it down on the advice of their legal team.

The WSJ reports:

Joshua Topolsky, editor-in-chief of Engadget, which is owned by AOL Inc., said that the site was contacted April 17 by people who claimed to have found the device in a bar. These people asked Engadget to pay for access to the device, but it declined to do so after consulting with its attorneys. “We believe it’s the same device,” said Mr. Topolsky.

Engadget might have missed out on one of the biggest Apple scoops of all-time, but in the end, they might come out looking a lot better than Gizmodo. Pageviews eventually dissipate, but Gizmodo’s obnoxious and suspicious handling of the story will linger on for some time.