Mikey CampbellCiting an announcement from Chinese display manufacturer Proview International, an IDG News Service report published by Computerworld notes that the Cupertino, Calif., company had officially filed for the appeal with the Higher People's Court of Guangdong Province on Jan. 5, 2012 after losing the original case in December, 2011.
Apple's initial suit, which asserted that it legally purchased the iPad trademark in 2010 from a U.K. company named IP Applications after that company bought the rights from a Taiwanese Proview subsidiary, was shot down by the Shenzhen Municipal Court. The ruling stated that because the Shenzhen-based company did not attend the negotiations and the deal was made through a subsidiary, the purchase was void.
The case becomes more confusing as previous reports claim that IP Applications was somehow connected to Apple.
Before launching its increasingly popular tablet in 2010, Apple purchased the iPad trademark from Fujitsu, which started using the moniker for Windows CE-based handheld devices in 2003. The company subsequently purchased the remaining international iPad trademark rights, including those in China, from Proview's Taiwan subsidiary in 2006.
Xie Xianghui, Proview's legal representation, claims that Apple asked for the iPad trademark and legal fee compensation of 4 million yuan, or about $636,000, as part of the most recent appeal. The Shenzhen company has also filed two separate lawsuits seeking to ban iPad sales, though the cases are pending.
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25 Comments
Since bribery and favors are de rigueur in China, Apple should simply point out the value of their continued use of Chinese labor (and rising salaries) as a counter-argument to any arguments against their being allowed the iPad name in China.
Walk softly, but carry a big stick.
Apple just needs to buy the judge of the case. From what I hear, that works well over there.
Since bribery and favors are de rigueur in China, Apple should simply point out the value of their continued use of Chinese labor (and rising salaries) as a counter-argument to any arguments against their being allowed the iPad name in China.
Walk softly, but carry a big stick.
China has a bigger stick.
Now go and ask them to sign ACTA.... and stop begging in Europe where it will be rejected even after signing (no country will enact it or adapt law to enforce ACTA in the current form of foolish Article 27 shape towards "corporate America").
China has a bigger stick.
700,000 Apple workers in a country that has a population of 1,338,299,500 which makes Apple's stick almost non existent.