If you've ever wondered how third-party accessory firms in China are able to produce cases and other accessories for iDevices, many times in time for launch, here's the (obvious) answer. DigiTimes reports that three Foxconn employees have been arrested and charged with leaking the design for the iPad 2 to accessory companies.

Considering it is China, where intellectual property is not such a big deal, the story is no surprise. After all, an enterprising entrepreneur managed to start a cottage industry over DIY white iPhone 4 kits, using parts from China (which we are quite certain were not supposed to be sold). Unfortunately for him, now that the white iPhone 4 is officially on sale, he's out of business.

Apple relies on Hon Hai Industries' Foxconn subsidiary to make many of its products, including iDevices. When several online shopping retailers in China began selling iPad 2 cases before the launch of the iPad 2, the report said that Foxconn suspected that there might have been some employees leaking the design of iPad 2.

Local police arrested three employees on December 26, 2010. Police officially charged the three employees for violating Foxconn's (really, Apple's_ trade secrets on March 23, 2011, the report added.

It's not unusual to see cases available before an iDevice launch. In fact, they are often used to speculate on actual designs of the iDevices. Cases began leaking out of China in early December 2010, and these were mostly dismissed as speculative, and based on rumor. They were far too accurate, however.

Still, this isn't the first time early case designs have been accurate. This leads one to wonder if (when? how many times?) this has happened before.