Sapphire Glass Manufacturer GT Advanced Technologies Accuses Apple of Bait-and-Switch Tactic
It was reported sometime earlier that Apple's sapphire glass supplier GT Advanced Technologies had gone bankrupt. It seems that Apple is also the cause for that, as was revealed recently. Apparently, GT accuses the Cupertino company that it applied a bait-and-switch tactic during negotiations in 2013.
GT claimed that Apple pressured the company into signing the contracts, telling them to "Put on your big boy pants," according to court documents which were released Friday Oct. 7. Both companies had demanded that GT's chief operating officer Daniel Squiller's declaration be made secret. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Henry Boroff declined, ordering that all information be made public.
"With a classic bait-and-switch strategy, Apple presented GTAT with an onerous and massively one-sided deal in the fall of 2013. Apple simply dictate the terms and conditions of the deal to GTAT," Squiller had said.
Apple on the other hand had defended their positions in the allegations, where their lawyers had described Squiller's statement as "inflammatory," "untrue," and "slanderous."
"These statements are intended to vilify Apple and portray Apple as a coercive bully. Apple's image and reputation will be harmed if the defamatory statements alleging that Apple sought to dominate and control, strong arm, or take advantage of its suppliers are disclosed," Apple's lawyers had said against Squiller's statement.
The deal under question was struck between GT and Apple in October of 2013, where GT would be producing sapphire at an Apple-owned plant in Mesa, Arizona. The Cupertino company had agreed to loan GT $578 million to enable the company to produce the sapphire-growing furnaces needed to produce the material.
The case is still awaiting court approval.
