“Apple Inc. has lost a trademark dispute in China, where it had accused Proview Technology (Shenzhen) of infringing on its iPad trademark,” NewsCore reports.
“Proview’s Taiwan based unit had sold the ‘global trademark’ to a U.K.-based company called IP Application Development for £35,000 ($55,104) in 2006… That company then transferred the trademark to Apple,” NewsCore reports. “But Proview Technology (Shenzhen) says the trademark for China’s mainland market was not included in that agreement because the company’s Taiwan unit did not own it at the time.”
NewsCore reports, “The court agreed, ruling that the Shenzhen-based company holds the rights to the iPad trademark in the Chinese market, the Daily reported.”
Full article here.
So let me guess – they’ll sell it to Apple. For a lot more than the $55,104 they sold the other name rights for in 2006.
They’re asking over a billion USD.
According to a spanish site, Proview is asking Apple US$1,500 million as compensation for trade mark infringement.
Ups…
They are suing for $1.5 Billion (with a B)
1,500 million = 1.5 billion
Situations like these are why it’s good to have all that cash on hand.
Sneaky .. Can’t trust them
that’s what the chinese said about the brits 100 years ago
Never trust those Asian companies. The only ones that trust them are the US Judges that favor Asian companies who’s mantra is to “copy” and undercut competitors with their cheaper labor and sub par materials.
You mean Asian US Judge Koh?
Well, it is time to call it iPADD based on the Star Trek PADD that first used it in the Next Generation series. Pay an American a royalty first.
Or just call it what it really is in China. The ANDROID TABLET KILLER. It has a nice ring to it in English. No idea what it sounds like in Mandarin.
Randloid Tabret Kirrer
Just spit out my coffee.
Don’t pay these a/holes a dime. China is big enough to call the iPad the iSlate or something else. These lying SOBs.
Were I Apple, I’d gladly spend the 1.1B with my manufacturing & design partners to rebrand the Chinese version, rather than hand it over to the IP squatters. Would also have value as a future deterrence.
There is a saying…”They just got Shanghaied.”
Then don’t make them in China and don’t sell them in China. But, I am sure they will recover the 1.5 billion if the Chinese market so…loves Apple products.
ApplePad
+1
That will save 1+ billion.
A rose by any other name……
iPAnDa
Pull out and let them enjoy their cheap knock-offs.
The chiPad it is then.
I think they want Apple to call it “iPadded uPocket”…..
Nice!
So, this other company actually makes a product similar to Apple’s iPad and hence there would be confusion? Otherwise, I don’t get it.
iPad knockoff “me love you long time” new slogan.
China once again takes decisive legal action to defend intellectual property rights.
I think Apple could sell it in China without any name and let the people call it what they want. I believe it would sell very well and be unofficially be named iPad by the users. Apple wins
1. I’d love to see that.
Absolutely the way to go. Just don’t label it anything, but leave that big Apple logo right there on the back. If anything for the Chinese market, come up with an iPad graphic logo image of the device to use in the iTunes App store for iPad apps, instead of the word iPad – only for the Chinese market. It’s all about form factor anyway, and iPad is what everyone will actually still call it. Never pay extortion for the right to do business in China.
And let’s be honest…where does “iPad” even appear on the product?? Oh, that’s right…in little tiny print on the bottom of the back of it.
Call it “ApplePad” or whatever in the marketing and engrave a different name on the back of it.
Or counter-sue them to oblivion.
Similar to the Dodge SRT-10 “Viper” situation in England.
A Brit company owns that car name and had for years. Chrysler lost the lawsuit so officially the car is called the SRT-10 in England but still known as the Viper.
I think Apple would be fine deleting the name off the iPad in China.
In countries that derive the laws from the English common law system, trade mark rights are based on filing for a trade mark, but also include rights based on having used the mark.
Whereas China’s trademark system is based on first to file owns it.
Having said that, most countries, including China, have an honest concurrent use system – so I wonder if Apple can apply to obtain a parallel registation, although that would mean the other side could sell products legitimately with the iPad name.
http://tinyurl.com/c7bdmd2
http://tinyurl.com/c7bdmd2
Nuke ’em!
Foxxcon will do something about it. Terry Guo got connection in China and he also plan to sell Apple products in his own stores. He is not going to let something this stupid to happen, watch Proview get incinerated pretty soon… Chinese style.
Won’t make much difference. They’ll still not be able to display the Apple logo, and I think the majority of buyers are too smart to not know whether they’re buying the REAL “iPad” or the product with the correct name. If I were Apple, I’d let them keep the name, as long as it remains in China. They won’t be able to make $1.5 million, let alone $1.5 billion.
Besides, they’re not getting access to iTunes or the App Store, two core strengths of the Apple ecosystem.
No matter what they call it, the people in China will call an iPad, an iPad, as they already know just as much about it as you or I.
Personally I’d call it an iPod Tablet, and leave it at that, don’t pay the extortionists.
Just don’t sell it there. They can buy it online or abroad or import it, can’t they? They’re lawless and are going to knock it off anyway…
Call it iBlowme
It really shouldn’t be a problem to change the name. AirPort products are sold under the AirMac name in Japan. I’m sure there are probably more examples out there.