Apple has proved its brilliance and it has been rewarded with enormous financial power. The trouble is that Apple does not appear to have realised that great power carries great responsibility, including a responsibility to pay taxes to the governments of the countries that have provided the company with the opportunity to make that profit.
If Apple wants to prove itself a leader in every way, and not just in technology, it should now lead the pack of tech companies into constructive negotiations with the OECD in Paris to develop a tax system that truly, and fairly, ensures it pays the taxes it owes in the countries were it earns them. Better still, it should account for doing so on a country-by-country reporting basis. Then it would earn our trust, and not just our respect.
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Apple might gain even more respect if it cleaned up its deplorable treatment of workers in foreign third world countries as shown on a documentary done by Al Jazeera. Such unspeakable treatment of people desperate to work for meager wages in working conditions reminiscent of indentured serfs digging in chemical heaps, while breathing in toxins that will shorten their miserable lives. It is a documentary each and every customer should see to know the suffering that went into each and every product.
China 3rd world? Give it a break.
China is big enough to accomdate both the first and third worlds within itself. And all stations in between.
Hi Richard, I thought you were very good on Channel 4 news and put the case well.
Since Steve Jobbs passed on the company has turned it’s direction to purely making profit. Our production company has been using final cut pro which was an affordable challenge to Avid and allowed small production companies to compete with large agencies and thrive. Apple have hung all FCP users out to dry by bringing out an entirely new platform for editing designed for the general public and not for film makers. They don’t care about their own workers or their long term customers they are just out to make money. We need to change the main focus of the NHS in this battle of political parties and get them to start talking about firm promises to generate income via fair taxation.Close the loopholes!! Design it in a transparent way that PWC, KPMG etc can not legally commit theft on behave of their clients. We are all taking our eye off the ball yet again. No-one wants to do it because it will rattle all those in big business who pull the strings.
Richard,
To call the amount of profits earned by Apple immoral, even obscene, would be charitable.
A practical question, and somewhat related to margsview, for starters, I am an avid and enthusiastic user of Apple products, the entire line in fact. Most days I am fine with purchasing, using and engaging with Apple products. There are other days, like today for instance, in which I read about their massive profit intake, and we being seemingly unable to stop that, along with their labour ‘practices, and I find myself chilled and somewhat ill at ease.
I know your blog is not an Agony Aunt column, but quite frankly, what is your advice? Both in regards to lowering Apple’s profit, as well as, the unease some of us, rightfully, feel in regards to using their products?
Apple makes profit from its ability to exploit state sponsored monopoly – patents
We need to consider whether competition law should be brought into play
If Nokia and Samsung go what is left? HTC? And some Chinese manufacturers who do nit innovate?
The monopoly is a serious issue