Sony

Sony Corporation, based in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's top consumer electronics companies. Products include cameras, TVs, DVD and MP3 players, and semiconductors. Sony's PlayStation is slightly ahead of Nintendo's GameCube and Wii and Microsoft's Xbox.

In the entertainment business, it owns Sony BMG Music and Epic, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Pictures Digital, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and Sony Pictures Television.

In 2007, sales were US$70.5 billion with profits of US$1 billion.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council
Sony has been a corporate funder of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). See ALEC Corporations for more.

Ad boycott against Air America Radio
Sony refused to advertise on the progressive Air America Radio. In October 2006, around 90 companies, including Sony, told ABC Radio Networks that they did not want their ads to play on radio stations that carried Air America Radio.

Labor
Lite-On Xuji Electronics Co., Ltd. Is a keyboard manufacturer based in Dongguan, China. The factory was founded in 1995, and while Dell is its major buyer, Lite-On Xuji sells keyboards to Acer, Apple, Foxconn, Gateway, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Logitech, Microsoft, NEC, Sony, and Toshiba. According to a 2008 report conducted by SACOM and Bread for All, the factory employed 3000 workers who work between 10 and 12 hours a day. The factory began paying workers legal wages and overtime wages in 2008, while they had been paying illegally low wages in 2006 and 2007. However, workers continue to work more than 100 overtime hours per month, well about the legal limit of 36 overtime hours monthly. Due to long hours standing, repetitive tasks, and high work speed, workers suffer from swollen legs, back pain, and other repetitive motion injuries, as well as irritation from paint and paint thinner fumes name="high tech 31-2"> Jenny Chan, the Research Team of SACOM, and Bread for All. May 2008. “High Tech – No Rights? A One Year Follow-up Report on Working Conditions in China’s Electronic Hardware Sector.” P. 31-2. . Despite these problems, Xuji factory has no program in place to “identify, evaluate, and control the hazards that arise from physically demanding work.”  Management threatens workers who make mistakes with the possibility of the withdrawal of factory client orders. name="high tech 31"> Jenny Chan, the Research Team of SACOM, and Bread for All. May 2008. “High Tech – No Rights? A One Year Follow-up Report on Working Conditions in China’s Electronic Hardware Sector.” P. 31. Worker dormitories are very crowded and noisy, housing 16 workers per room, who must share all facilities in common and often have trouble sleeping due to noise. name="high tech 32"> Jenny Chan, the Research Team of SACOM, and Bread for All. May 2008. “High Tech – No Rights? A One Year Follow-up Report on Working Conditions in China’s Electronic Hardware Sector.” P. 32. While workers were not aware of their labor rights under the EICC, they still “expressed the urgent need” for safety training as well as shortened standing work hours or at least longer breaks and rest periods. name="high tech 32"> Jenny Chan, the Research Team of SACOM, and Bread for All. May 2008. “High Tech – No Rights? A One Year Follow-up Report on Working Conditions in China’s Electronic Hardware Sector.” P. 32.

Lobbying
Sony spent $1,237,000 in the U.S. for lobbying in the first half of 2007. Two of the lobbying firms used were Quinn Gillespie & Associates and Patton Boggs.

Personnel
Key executives:
 * Howard Stringer, Chief Executive Officer
 * Ryoji Chubachi, President and Electronics CEO
 * Katsumi Ihara, Executive Deputy President, Officer in charge of Consumer Product Group

Selected members of the Board of Directors:
 * Yotaro Kobayashi, Chairman of the Board
 * Hirobumi Kawano, Vice Chairman of the Board
 * Fujio Cho, Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation

Contact details
Japan headquarters: 7-1, Konan, 1-chome, Minato-ku Tokyo, 108-0075 Phone: +81-3-6748-2111 Fax: +81-3-6748-2244 Web: http://www.sony.net

U.S. office: 550 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 Phone: 212-833-6800 Fax: 212-833-6938 Web: http://www.sony.com

External articles

 * Danielle Knight, "Sony Corporation Tracks Environmental Organizations", CorpWatch/Inter Press Service, September 15, 2000.
 * Deborah Branscum, "Marketing Under the Radar", CorpWatch/CMO, December 22, 2004.
 * Jennifer Bayot, "Sony Agrees to Halt Gifts for Airtime", CorpWatch/The New York Times, July 25, 2005.
 * "Texas expands Sony spyware lawsuit", CorpWatch/MSNBC, December 22, 2005.

External resources
, Co-op America, accessed December 2007.