Proview and Apple argue in China higher court over 'iPad' trademark

The hearing is the result of an appeal from Apple, which lost a decision to Proview in a lower chinese court in December. The high court said Wednesday afternoon that a decision on the case is now pending, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In the arguments before the court, Apple officials said they are "disappointed" that Proview didn't hold up its end of the deal for the iPad trademark. They also said that it's the management of Apple that has created value in the iPad name.

Proview countered that Apple has set a "terrible example in the Chinese intellectual property market" in using the iPad name without proper authorization. Proview officials believe that Apple was illegally deceitful when it bought the rights to the "iPad" trademark through a special purpose company named IP Application Development Limited.

However, an attorney for Proview also said in court on Wednesday that the company is "open" to talk about compensation in return for Apple's use of the iPad name. Reports have claimed that Proview is seeking as much as $2 billion from Apple.

Proview and Apple are involved in a number of lawsuits throughout China, as Proview is attempting to block sales of the iPad and even exportation of the device, which would effectively bring worldwide sales to a halt. Proview has even taken its legal action against Apple to the U.S., filing suit in California over the "iPad" trademark.

At its peak, Proview was the manufacturer of a stripped-down PC it called the Internet Personal Access Device, or iPAD. The company also found some success building monitors before the global financial crisis hit and pushed it into bankruptcy. Now, it's a near-dead company with its ownership of the "IPAD" name its only major asset.