本文摘要：The confidential deals Apple strikes with suppliers have been dragged into public view by the bankruptcy last week of a key component maker in Arizona.上周，苹果(Apple)在亚利桑那州的一家关键组件制造商申请人倒闭，造成苹果与供应商间的保密协议被拖入公众视野。

The confidential deals Apple strikes with suppliers have been dragged into public view by the bankruptcy last week of a key component maker in Arizona.上周，苹果(Apple)在亚利桑那州的一家关键组件制造商申请人倒闭，造成苹果与供应商间的保密协议被拖入公众视野。Details of Apple’s non-disclosure agreements, which suppliers are not allowed to acknowledge, have emerged in court filings by GT Advanced Technologies, including the $50m penalty the iPhone maker imposes for any leak of product information.苹果的保密协议细节（协议拒绝供应商不得供词这些细节）已经常出现在GT Advanced Technologies递交法院的文件中，这些细节还包括，若产品信息有任何外泄，苹果将对泄露方判处5000万美元罚款。Ahead of a court hearing tomorrow, GT’s lawyers are arguing that even more information about its relationship with Apple should be published, in the interests of creditors and shareholders.明天法院将举办庭审。GT的律师在开庭前主张，为债权人和股东的利益起见，不应将GT与苹果关系的更好细节公之于众。

In filings last week, the manufacturer called its supplier agreement with Apple “oppressive and burdensome”. That marked a sudden about-turn by the Nasdaq-listed company, which a year ago was enthusing to shareholders how the partnership would transform it. Creditors and bondholders are together owed more than $500m by GT.GT在上周递交给法院的文件中称之为，其与苹果达成协议的供应商协议是“反抗性的和严苛的”。此事标志着这家纳斯达克(Nasdaq)上市公司的态度忽然再次发生了180度的改变。一年前，该公司还在激动地向股东回应与苹果的合作关系不会让公司再次发生多大的好转。

GT现在不出债权人和债券持有人合计多达5亿美元。With the exact circumstances leading up to GT’s sudden filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection unclear, other companies in Apple’s supply chain are watching the case with nervous interest.现在还不确切在GT依据美国《破产法》第11章申请人倒闭维护前究竟再次发生了什么，苹果供应链中的其他公司正在紧绷地注目此案。Most of Apple’s suppliers are in Asia but under chief executive Tim Cook, it has worked to expand its US supply chain. Its $3,000 Mac Pro has been manufactured in Texas since December.苹果的供应商大多在亚洲，但在首席执行官蒂姆库克(Tim Cook)的领导下，苹果已希望不断扩大其在美国的供应链。

去年12月以来，该公司售价3000美元的Mac Pro仍然是在得克萨斯州生产的。Last November, Apple said it would lend GT $578m to help it set up a sapphire manufacturing facility in Arizona. Though neither party would comment on what the synthetic sapphire would be used for, analysts concluded that it was probably destined to replace the hardened glass used in the iPhone’s screen. Apple has since said its Watch accessory will also come with a sapphire screen.去年11月，苹果曾回应它不会赠予GT 5.78亿美元，协助后者在亚利桑那州创建一家蓝宝石生产工厂。虽然双方都不愿就这种人造蓝宝石的用途置评，但分析师推测，它很可能会被用来代替iPhone屏幕所用的增强玻璃。苹果之后回应，Apple Watch也将用于蓝宝石屏。

Encouraged by tax breaks, both companies had trumpeted the partnership for creating hundreds of jobs.不受税收免除措施鼓舞，这两家公司都曾大肆宣扬这一合作关系不会建构数百个低收入岗位。Under the agreement with GT, Apple was to design and build a facility near Phoenix, and lease it to GT, drawing power from a purpose-built solar array.根据与GT达成协议的协议，苹果要在凤凰城附近设计修建一家工厂并租赁给GT，其电力将来自专为该厂修建的太阳能电池阵。But barely a year later, GT filed for bankruptcy. This came as a shock to Wall Street, which sold down its stock by more than 90 per cent in a day, and Apple itself.但刚刚过了一年，GT就申请人倒闭。

这件事对华尔街和苹果自身都包含了冲击。华尔街在一天内抛了90%以上的GT股票。“We are focused on preserving jobs in Arizona following GT’s surprising decision and we will continue to work with state and local officials as we consider our next steps,” Apple said.苹果回应：“在GT做出这一难以置信要求后，我们的工作重点在于挽回亚利桑那州的低收入岗位。

我们将之后与该州及当地官员合作，联合思维先前行动。”While GT is looking to blame its deal with Apple for its financial difficulties, it already faces a class-action lawsuit from angry shareholders who claim that it “misrepresented and/or concealed” its financial position, its ability to meet Apple’s requirements and its progress on manufacturing the sapphire.虽然GT想将其财务困境归罪于与苹果的协议，但它已遭气愤股东的集体诉讼。

这些股东称之为，GT“歪曲和/或掩饰”自身财务状况、符合苹果拒绝的能力以及生产蓝宝石的进展。GT did not respond to requests for comment.GT没恢复记者的置评催促。

As recently as August, GT said in an earnings call that it was confident it would meet the operational targets and receive its final prepayment of $139m, which had been due by the end of this month. But when the iPhone 6 was revealed last month without mention of a sapphire screen, GT’s stock tumbled.就在今年8月，GT还在财报电话会议上回应，它坚信自己需要构建经营目标和接到1.39亿美元的最后预付款——这笔款项不应于本月底前保险费。但苹果上月公布iPhone 6时未提到蓝宝石屏，GT股价随后下跌。Few suppliers are able to achieve a higher profit margin than Apple itself, which reported gross margins of 39.4 per cent in its June quarter. Long-term partners have become accustomed to its demanding financial terms, in part because they have been able to ride on the back of Apple’s rapid growth.很少有供应商能构建低于苹果自身的利润率。

苹果财报表明，在截至今年6月的这个季度，该公司的毛利率为39.4%。苹果的长年合作伙伴已对其严苛的财务条款习以为常，部分原因在于它们能从苹果的高速快速增长中捞到益处。GT appears to be the first of its thousands of suppliers to run into such public financial distress. It is already beginning to wind down the sapphire manufacturing operations related to Apple products, which it said cost it $1m a day, leading to the loss of 890 jobs, out of 1,110 full-time employees.在苹果的数千家供应商当中，GT或许沦为了首家遭遇这种公开发表财务困境的公司。

GT已开始逐步关闭与苹果产品有关的蓝宝石生产业务，它回应，此举导致的损失约每天100万美元，还造成1110名全职员工中有890人被裁员。GT hopes that lifting the veil of secrecy that Apple has imposed will help its case. It asked the court for permission to file unredacted details of its situation “in the interest of their creditors, equity holders and other stakeholders, as well as to ensure an open, transparent and fair process”.GT期望，揭下苹果硬罩在双方协议上的谜样面纱能不利于自己的案子。GT催促法院“为了GT债权人、股权持有人及其他利益相关者的利益，以及为了保证程序的公开发表、半透明和公平”，批准后它无保留地在文件中透露其详细情况。

In court filings, GT said that Apple’s non-disclosure agreements “provide that each breach of the confidentiality obligations will require GTAT Corp to pay liquidated damages to Apple in an amount of $50m per occurrence”.GT在递交给法院的文件中回应，苹果的保密协议“规定，GTAT公司每违背一次保密义务，就须向苹果缴纳5000万美元违约金。”The case could break legal ground as judges must weigh the rights of corporate confidentiality against those of creditors in a bankrupt company.本案有可能首创法律界的一个先例，因为法官必需就企业的保密权利与倒闭企业债权人的权利做出权衡。GT says Apple’s non-disclosure agreements give the iPhone maker “disproportionate power”.GT回应，苹果的保密协议彰显这家iPhone制造商“过分的权力”。“GTAT also believes that Congress’s express desire for public access in bankruptcy cases...outweighs contractual demands for secrecy,” it said in its request to unseal certain filings. “However, absent express direction from the court, GTAT will not risk exposing itself to potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in additional liabilities.” The judge approved its request, setting the stage for further revelations this week.GT催促公开发表它递交的某些文件，它回应：“GTAT还指出，美国国会关于破产案不应向公众半透明的具体心愿……比合约的保密拒绝更加最重要。

不过，如果法院不得出具体的命令，GTAT会冒险让自身背上有可能约数亿美元的额外债务。”法官批准后了GT的催促，这为本周透露更好的信息奠下了基础。

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