Apple Corporate

New Apple policy requires top execs to hold onto stock

Apple this month quietly implemented a new rule that requires its top executives and board members to hold onto company stock, worth various multiples of what their salary pays.

The new requirement, which was detailed on Apple's Web site (PDF) and reported by The Wall Street Journal, aims to keep executives from selling off stock and tie their own performance with that of the company. It comes just a day after shareholders shot down a policy that would require company executives to hold onto at least 33 percent of their stock until reaching the age of retirement.

The policy … Read more

Apple scores patent win against Samsung in Japan

Samsung is on the losing end of yet another legal decision in its ongoing patent war with Apple.

The Tokyo District Court today rejected Samsung's request for a ban on Apple devices in a dispute over data transmission patents.

The court found that Samsung hadn't "sincerely" negotiated with Apple over the patents in question and therefore had no right to seek damages, according to BusinessWeek.

A Samsung spokesman told CNET that the company is "disappointed by today's court decision, and following a thorough review of the ruling, it will take the measures necessary to … Read more

Apple's 'spaceship' headquarters blasts off in 2016

Apple's "Spaceship" headquarters, which have been in the planning stages for years and were the brainchild of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, will be open for business in 2016, the company says.

The news was announced today by CEO Tim Cook at Apple's annual shareholder meeting. He reported that Apple is currently working with the city to gain approval and hopes to break ground for the facility later this year.

Jobs laid out plans for his company's headquarters in 2011. The facility is expected to have four stories and span a whopping 2.8 million … Read more

Tim Cook doesn't like Apple's falling share price, either

If you're an Apple shareholder and pretty pissed about the company's recent stock drop, you can at least take comfort in knowing you're not alone.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said today during the electronics giant's annual shareholder meeting that he knows people are upset about the stock drop.

"I don't like it either," Cook said. Nor does the board and management, he added.

But what investors are likely still wondering is what Apple is going to do about it. Shares have tumbled roughly 35 percent from their peak in September, and it'… Read more

Tim Cook to shareholders: It was the 'mother of all years'

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Apple CEO Tim Cook tried to reassure shareholders today, saying that the company was disappointed by its falling stock price but also that Apple is committed to its long-term strategy.

The meeting itself, which took place here this morning, was business as usual.

As expected, shareholders voted to re-elect all eight of Apple's board members. That includes Andrea Jung, Apple's only female board member, who was forced to resign as the chief executive of Avon last year and now serves as a senior adviser for the beauty products company.

The stakes were a bit higher … Read more

Apple's Chinese suppliers still exploiting workers, says report

Apple has so far failed in its responsibility to monitor its Chinese suppliers for worker violations, claims a labor watchdog group.

In a report released yesterday, Student & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) accused three of Apple's Chinese suppliers of inhumane worker conditions. The three suppliers -- Foxlink, Pegatron, and Wintek -- fail to provide for basic human needs and continue to use student workers, according to SACOM.

Over the past few years, Apple has increased its audits of Chinese factories and taken action against those that violate its supplier code of conduct. Regardless, SACOM's report asserts that … Read more

VirnetX v. Apple judge upholds $368M patent suit verdict

A U.S. District Court has upheld an earlier decision by a federal jury last year to award intellectual property and patent holding firm VirnetX more than $368.2 million, after Apple was found to have infringed patents related to the networking technology used it its FaceTime video chat service.

Meanwhile, as first noted by Seeking Alpha, Apple must award VirnetX more than $330,000 per day until the case is settled, forcing the companies to hammer out agreements between themselves.

VirnetX, known for going after major tech companies on patent infringement claims, believes Apple infringed four networking patents designed … Read more

Stock split rumor surfaces ahead of Apple investor meeting

At last year's annual shareholders meeting, Apple CEO Tim Cook knocked the idea of splitting Apple's then-soaring stock.

"A stock split isn't so clear to be honest," Cook told investors last February. Apple had charted out how stock splits worked for "many" other companies, Cook explained, and hadn't come up with a clear answer on what to do. "There might be a short-term pop, but for a lot it does nothing," Cook said.

A lot can change in a year though.

The day before Apple shareholders descend on the company's Cupertino, Calif., campus, … Read more

Hot topic at Apple shareholders meeting is off limits

Apple opens up its doors to shareholders tomorrow, an annual event that's been home to everything from group renditions of "happy birthday" to environmental protesters donning giant iPod costumes.

It's also home to formalities like re-electing board members, choosing Apple's accounting firm, as well as a chance for executives to dodge the inevitable shareholder questions about products the company is working on.

This year is a little different though. Shareholders were set to vote on something that's no longer on the table following a lawsuit filed against Apple earlier this month.

Greenlight Capital, a … Read more