Apple is reportedly working to put an end to accessory makers designing their products based on leaks that come from inside sources before the products are officially unveiled at their usual Apple events.
Apple wants to keep their upcoming device works-in-progress a complete secret from not only the public, but to their competitors as well, such as Samsung. Any accessory makers that continue to design accessories based on leaks rather than Apple's own inside information that may or may not be sent to them to help design their products could be hit with some upsetting consequences, as 9to5Mac reports. Some of the threatening agreement that many accessory makers were forced to sign in order to keep orderly business with Apple is revealed below:
…should Apple find that, prior to the release of a product, you have sought, obtained, or relied upon specifications of that product from sources other than Apple, Apple may choose to exercise its right to take action against you, which penalties can include, but are not limited to, Apple choosing not to stock your product in our stores.
For case-makers, this seems to be a double-whammy. Either they will have to be barred from Apple's inside intelligence permanently if they don't agree to the terms, or they will face delays attempting to be the first at making bulks of cases for Apple's new handsets if they do agree to the terms. Another instance where case-makers will hurt due to this new rule is that Apple's own proprietary Leather cases may see a boost in sales due to the fact that it would be the only case that would be ready to ship as soon as a new Apple device launches since case-makers will be unable to start their production early.
Not only will the new terms hurt accessory-makers in the long run, but it will hurt consumers. All while Apple has everything to gain from it.
Sources: 9to5Mac
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