“A court in south China has jailed three people for stealing the design to Apple’s iPad2 tablet computer and using it to manufacture counterfeits, state press said Wednesday,” AFP reports. “The theft from a plant run by Foxconn, a contract electronics manufacturer, in Guangdong province late last year resulted in fake iPad2s being sold in China before Apple’s official launch of the product, the Guangzhou Daily said.”

“A court in Shenzhen city last week sentenced Xiao Chengsong, the legal agent of Maita Electronics, to 18 months in prison and fined him 150,000 yuan ($23,000) for buying the design from two Foxconn workers,” AFP reports. “Xiao allegedly paid 200,000 yuan for the iPad 2 design. Foxconn employee Lin Kecheng, was sentenced to 14 months and fined 100,000 yuan, while another worker identified as Hou Pengna was given a two-year sentence suspended for one year and fined 30,000 yuan.”

AFP reports, “All three were convicted of the crime of violating commercial secrets.”

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[Attribution: Mike Elgan. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Dan K." for the heads up.]