Beijing, China three people have been jailed for plotting to steal information on the Apple iPad 2, prior to its launch earlier this year.
According to the Wall Street Journal, two employees of Foxconn (the Taiwanese company that makes the iPad for Apple), were paid for information about the upcoming device by the head of a Chinese accessories manufacturer that produces protective cases.
All three received jail sentences and fines. Xiao Chengson general manager of MacTop Electronics was sentenced to 18 months in prison; ex-Foxconn employee Hou Penga was sent to jail for 14 months and Foxconn employee Lin Kecheng was sentenced to 12 months in prison. They also received fines of approximately £14,000, £9500 and £2800 respectively.
Chengson, general manager of MacTop Electronics allegedly offered Penga around £2000, along with product discounts. Penga then paid an existing employee Kecheng to take pictures of the back cover. Using results from this MacTop started developing and promoting Apple iPad 2 cases before the product was announced by Apple.
Foxconn is a subsidiary Hon Hai Precision Industry, the company that makes many of Apple’s products including the iPhone and the iPad, along with other major consumer electronics manufacturers including Cisco, HP and Acer. The company has been at the centre of controversy over the last few years following several suicides and an explosion in May 2011. More recently according to the BBC Foxconn lost its blue-chip status following falling share prices.
Via: Wall Street Journal
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