Amaya Toman The first iPad was a huge success for Apple. No wonder the whole world was anxiously awaiting the arrival of its second generation. This happened in the spring of 2011. The wait for new products from major technology companies is often accompanied by various leaks, and the iPad 2 was no different. This time, however, the premature publication of the photos had very unpleasant consequences.
The three people responsible were jailed in China for disclosing the relevant information. These were employees of Foxcon R&D, and prison sentences ranged from one year to eighteen months. In addition, fines ranging from $4500 to $23 were imposed on the accused. The punishments were apparently also intended to serve as an example - and given that there has not been an incident of similar proportions by Foxconn employees, the warning was met with success.
According to the police, the defendants committed the act of prematurely revealing details regarding the design of the upcoming iPad 2 to one of the accessory manufacturers, at a time when the tablet was not yet in the world. The mentioned company used the information to be able to start producing packaging and cases for the upcoming new iPad model with a huge lead over the competition.
iPad 2:
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The aforementioned manufacturer of accessories was the company Shenzen MacTop Electronics, which has been producing accessories compatible with Apple products since 2004. The company offered the defendants about three thousand dollars along with favorable discounts on their own products for the early provision of the relevant information. In return, the group of mentioned persons supplied digital images of the iPad 2 to MacTop Electronics. However, by doing so, the perpetrators violated not only the trade secrets of Apple, but also those of Foxconn. Their detention occurred three months before the official release of the iPad 2.
Leaks of details regarding upcoming hardware – whether from Apple or another manufacturer – cannot be completely prevented, and they still happen to some extent today. Given the huge number of people involved in the production process of these products, this is not surprising - for many of these people, this is an opportunity to make extra money, albeit at a high risk.
Although today's Apple is no longer as strictly secretive as it was under the "government" of Steve Jobs, and Tim Cook is much more open about the plans for the future, the company continues to guard its hardware secrets very carefully. Over the years, Apple has taken numerous steps to improve the level of secrecy with its suppliers. This strategy also includes, for example, the hiring of teams of undercover "investigators" tasked with checking for and passing on potential leaks. Supply chains face millions of dollars in fines for insufficient protection of Apple's manufacturing secrets.
Source: Cult of Mac
