Ipad 2 design thieves get jail time

THREE CHINESE MEN have been convicted of stealing Apple's Ipad 2 designs to create fakes.

A court in south China has handed out jail terms for Maita Electronics agent Xiao Chengsong and Foxconn employees Lin Kecheng and Hou Pengna after they were found guilty of stealing the designs of Apple's Ipad 2 and using them to manufacture fakes.

Chengsong was given an 18 month prison term and fined 150,000 yuan for buying the design from two Foxconn workers. Foxconn is one of Apple's main suppliers and makes Iphones and Ipads for Apple.

Foxconn employee Kecheng, who certainly had the name for the job, was ordered to 14 months of porridge and fined 100,000 yuan. The other Foxconn employee, Pengua was given a two year jail term, 12 months of which were suspended, and fined 30,000 yuan.

Officially the three were convicted of violating commercial secrets, something that China has been trying to crack down on. The theft of designs from the numerous manufacturing plants located in China has resulted in firms losing millions and undermining China's position as the World's dominant manufacturing force.

For Foxconn it is a source of grave embarrassment that one of its most high profile customers had its designs walk out the door. It's not something that Steve Jobs is likely to look favourably upon. µ