iPad sales heading for Chinese blockade
by Steven Mostyn - Dec 8 2011, 00:44
Image: walknboston/Flickr.
In yet more branding news, a court in China has sided with disgruntled flatscreen specialist Proview International regarding a long-standing trademark complaint lodged against Apple.
According to Taiwanese-owned Proview’s legal filing, it registered trademarks for several devices with ‘IPAD’ branding between 2000 and 2004, which is long before Apple crafted and named its iPad tablet computer.
Although Proview subsequently sold its ‘IPAD’ trademark to Apple in 2006 (for approximately $55,000 USD), the two warring parties have since disputed whether said trademark sale also covered China.
And, as a result of the court’s ruling, Apple is now faced with the very real possibility that it won’t be able to sell the hugely popular iPad throughout the Chinese market unless it comes to some amended agreement with Proview.
“We hope that this decision will make our negotiations with Apple a bit easier,” commented Proview spokesperson Li Su in a statement.
While Apple is expected to launch an appeal against the court’s decision, Proview has already begun pursuing legal action against Apple resellers in China in an effort to block the availability of iPad tablets.
Two initial cases targeting retailers in the cities of Shenzhen and Huizhou are scheduled to be heard on December 30 of 2011 and January 7 of 2012.
If those hearings result in iPad sales being blocked, the company has said it will expand the legal net to include numerous other Apple resellers across China.
Apple has offered no formal comment on the matter.
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