Last July, Taiwanese site Apple.pro posted photos of what was claimed to be the dock connector and ribbon cable for the iPad 3. While the connector doesn't reveal much of anything about the full iPad 3 device other than some speculation about the connector itself being white as opposed to black on the iPad 2, it was one of the first reported leaks of iPad 3 parts.
Apple's suppliers seem to have taken the leak seriously, however, as Apple.pro now seems to report [Google translation] that it has been sued by the supplier responsible for the part leaked in last year's report.
Apple's security demands are of course well-known, but parts for the company's devices have regularly leaked well before their public release. Most of the leaked parts have been basic ribbon cables and other internal components that have revealed little about the complete devices despite significant amounts of analysis and speculation.
Clearly Apple and its suppliers prefer that even these components not make their way into public view, although given the massive size of Apple's supply chain it may continue to have difficulty plugging leaks. Parts continue to leak on a regular basis, with some online vendors already offering some of the iPad 3 parts for sale.
