Apple spent $560,000 lobbying in the first quarter

Apple Inc., which makes the iPhone, iPad and other consumer electronics, spent $560,000 lobbying the federal government on green technology, technology spending for education and other issues in the first quarter, according to a quarterly disclosure report.

That's the same amount the company spent in the year-ago quarter.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based consumer electronics maker lobbied the House, Senate and Environmental Protection Agency on numerous environmental issues during quarter includingelectronic waste and green technology.

Apple has replaced many of the hazardous materials in its gadgets with less harmful and more recyclable ones, and designed the A4 processing chip in its iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch to be energy efficient. It has also designed proprietary longer-life batteries for
its computers, media players and phones.

Other issues Apple lobbied on included patent reform, corporate tax reform and children's online privacy and safety.

In addition to the House, Senate, and EPA, Apple lobbied the Department of Education, Federal Communications Commission and other federal agencies during the first three months of the year, according to the disclosure report filed with the House clerk's office on April 20.