<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001096906-24-000149.txt : 20240201
<SEC-HEADER>0001096906-24-000149.hdr.sgml : 20240201
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20240201153458
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001096906-24-000149
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	PX14A6G
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20240201
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20240201
EFFECTIVENESS DATE:		20240201

SUBJECT COMPANY:	

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			Apple Inc.
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000320193
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS [3571]
		ORGANIZATION NAME:           	06 Technology
		IRS NUMBER:				942404110
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			CA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0928

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		PX14A6G
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-36743
		FILM NUMBER:		24586630

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		ONE APPLE PARK WAY
		CITY:			CUPERTINO
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			95014
		BUSINESS PHONE:		(408) 996-1010

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		ONE APPLE PARK WAY
		CITY:			CUPERTINO
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			95014

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	APPLE INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20070109

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	APPLE COMPUTER INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19970808

FILED BY:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			Bowyer Research, Inc.
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001996368
		ORGANIZATION NAME:           	
		IRS NUMBER:				463874783
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			PA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		PX14A6G

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		6300 SMITHFIELD STREET
		CITY:			MCKEESPORT
		STATE:			PA
		ZIP:			15135
		BUSINESS PHONE:		412-751-8603

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		6300 SMITHFIELD STREET
		CITY:			MCKEESPORT
		STATE:			PA
		ZIP:			15135
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>PX14A6G
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>bowy_px14a6g.htm
<DESCRIPTION>BOWYER RESEARCH - PX14A6G
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<DIV style=margin-left:72pt;width:468pt><P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'><B>Summary</B></P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>Bowyer Research urges shareholders to vote FOR Proposal 8, on the 2024 proxy ballot of Apple, Inc. (&#8220;Apple&#8221; or the &#8220;Company&#8221;) The &#8220;Resolved&#8221; clause of Proposal No. 8 states:</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'> Shareholders request the Board of Directors issue a report by March 31, 2025, at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary or confidential information, analyzing the congruency of the Company's privacy and human rights policy positions with its actions, especially in such places as war zones and under oppressive regimes, as they impact how the Company maintains its reputation, viability and profitability.</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>The opposing statement to this Proposal<SUP><A name=_ftnb1 /><A href=#_ftnf1><SUP>1</SUP></A></SUP>, submitted by Apple&#8217;s Board of Directors (the &#8220;Board&#8221;), contends that:</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'>1.</KBD>The Company&#8217;s Human Rights Policy &#8220;respect[s] internationally recognized human rights in our business operations.&#8221;&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'>1.</KBD>The report requested by Proposal No. 8 would not provide &#8220;material additional information&#8221; for shareholders.&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'>2.</KBD>Apple is &#8220;transparent about [its] approach to complex situations and commitment to engagement.&#8221;&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'><B>These assertions, however, are based on false argumentation and analysis that:</B></P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'>1.</KBD>Mischaracterizes the nature of the Proposal.&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'>2.</KBD>Presents vague, nonbinding commitments in the face of serious concerns regarding the Company&#8217;s policies in situations where human rights abuses are at play.&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'><B>1.</B></KBD><B>The Board mischaracterizes the nature of the Proposal.</B>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>As asserted in the Board&#8217;s statement, Apple is &#8220;deeply committed to respecting internationally recognized human rights in our business operations,&#8221; and cites material from the United Nations and the International Labor Organization as part of its moral calculus. The Board seems to believe that this language of common good calculation is sufficient to assuage concerns of </P>
<HR style=text-align:left;width:25%><P style='font:10pt Times New Roman;margin:0'><SUP><A name=_ftnf1 /><A href=#_ftnb1><SUP>1</SUP></A></SUP>https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000130817924000010/laapl2024_def14a.pdf</P>
<HR style='page-break-after:always;border:0;height:3pt;background-color:#909090;margin:8pt 0'><P style=line-height:0;margin:0></P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'><FONT style=font-size:12pt>shareholders regarding Apple&#8217;s ability to handle debates over human rights. Yet, this assumption belies a key misunderstanding of the Proposal&#8217;s intent. Proposal No. 8 is requesting information regarding the Company&#8217;s prioritization of interests in both maintaining its global client base and dealing with state actors that fail to respect human rights, as opposed to Apple&#8217;s basic policies regarding human rights, because the concerns at hand are not merely practical but ideological.</FONT></P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>There is a marked and meaningful difference between understanding Apple&#8217;s general respect for both the rights of its client base and relevant government interests and understanding which of those priorities wins out in specific cases. Proposal No. 8 is clearly aimed at greater transparency regarding the latter. Apple&#8217;s conflation with the former only provides additional skepticism regarding its ability to respond to shareholder concerns.</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'><B>2.</B></KBD><B>The Board presents vague, nonbinding commitments in the face of serious concerns regarding the Company&#8217;s policies in situations where human rights abuses are at play.</B>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>In its response to Proposal No. 8, the Board states that &#8220;Our commitment to human rights extends to every facet of our business.&#8221; Yet, as noted in the 1792 Exchange&#8217;s report<SUP><A name=_ftnb2 /><A href=#_ftnf2><SUP>2</SUP></A></SUP> on Apple (which lists the company as High Risk), Apple&#8217;s policies created multiple instances of deplatforming content that appeared guided by an overabundance of compliance with regimes directly hostile to human rights, most notably the Chinese Communist Party. Further, as demonstrated in the recent court case <I>Pham v. Apple Inc</I>, Apple has sought legal action against employees who raise concerns over Apple&#8217;s content moderation standards in concert with local government regulations. </P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>Proposal No. 8 enumerates further instances that have raised suspicion, particularly Apple&#8217;s seeming double standard in the case of Russia (direct action), as compared to its actions in the case of China (largely accommodating). Such concerns are mounting and represent serious questions about Apple&#8217;s true commitment to respecting human rights while seeking to align its corporate practices with local government regulations. These questions cannot be erased by a </P>
<HR style=text-align:left;width:25%><P style='font:10pt Times New Roman;margin:0'><SUP><A name=_ftnf2 /><A href=#_ftnb2><SUP>2</SUP></A></SUP> https://1792exchange.com/company/apple/</P>
<HR style='page-break-after:always;border:0;height:3pt;background-color:#909090;margin:8pt 0'><P style=line-height:0;margin:0></P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'><FONT style=font-size:12pt>simple, informal commitment to &#8220;respect for human rights.&#8221; They must be addressed in a more serious fashion, or the Company will only see more skepticism in the future.</FONT></P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'><B>Conclusion</B></P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>As demonstrated in this report, the Board&#8217;s response to Proposal No. 8 fails to effectively address the substance of the Proposal&#8217;s critique regarding viewpoint discrimination by:</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'>1.</KBD>Mischaracterizing the nature of the Proposal.&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0;margin-left:36pt'><KBD style='position:absolute;font:12pt Times New Roman;margin-left:-18pt'>2.</KBD>Presenting vague, nonbinding commitments in the face of serious concerns regarding the Company&#8217;s policies in situations where human rights abuses are at play.&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>The hyper-political world of modern business requires a trust-but-verify mindset from shareholders. Apple seems to be asking its shareholders to trust without verifying, even as concerns mount over censorship and the Company dodges questions regarding whose interests take priority in situations where human rights abuses are at play. This does more than jeopardize Apple&#8217;s relationship of trust with shareholders. In its misrepresentation of shareholder concerns and glossing over of serious humanitarian issues, it furthers the seemingly political nature of Apple&#8217;s stance, a move that can only create further controversy and reputational risk to both Board and Company.</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
<P style='font:12pt Times New Roman;margin:0'>&nbsp;</P>
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