“Apple Inc. elaborated on its claim to the iPad trademark in China on Tuesday, saying that the computer maker’s opponent in a court battle is ‘misleading Chinese courts and customers,'” Loretta Chao reports for The Wall Street Journal.
“The dispute comes as Apple’s sales rise in China, making it the company’s No. 2 market, behind the U.S. Apple doesn’t break out iPad sales in China, but research firm IDC estimated that the company sold nearly 4.1 million iPads in China last year, or 70% of all tablet computers sold in the country,” Chao reports. “A new version of the iPad is expected to go on sale in other parts of the world, including Hong Kong, this week, though it was unclear when it will go on sale in mainland China.”
Chao reports, “Apple in 2009 reached a deal with a Taiwan affiliate of Proview to buy the trademark rights for ‘IPAD,’ a name Proview had registered years earlier for a separate product. The 2009 deal included a list of trademarks registered in several different countries, including two in mainland China, according to a copy of the contract. Apple on Tuesday said Proview steered the talks through its Taiwan arm even though the China trademarks technically belonged to its Shenzhen subsidiary, Proview Technology Shenzhen Co., which is about $400 million in debt. Apple also said the move was a maneuver to shield Proview Technology from mainland creditors.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s way past time to put this extortion attempt to bed.
Related articles:
Apple says Proview iPad trademark demands are misleading and unfair – March 13, 2012
Major creditor seeks liquidation of Chinese iPad trademark challenger Proview – March 5, 2012
Proview lawyer hopes Apple makes contact for iPad trademark settlement – March 1, 2012
That’s exactly what I think. All of the grandstanding by ProView has been taking place in front of the Chinese media for consumption in China. They’re blowing smoke up the skirts of their creditors, to stave off bankruptcy proceedings.
I guess it doesnt work. A company has proceeded to make proview bankrupt already since they see no hope here.
Leechers are coming out of the wood works just for the AAPL money!
Legal Apple keep doing a good job!
Buy AAPL = $1055 in 2015 🙂
@IATU: That’s a conservative prediction coming from you, given that we just saw $1,650 yesterday. What’s up?
maybe Apple should buy some of that debt from Proview’s creditors. The creditors get paid, and Proview is doing business with the creditor from their worst nightmare.
Nah. Proview is as good as dead meat. All Apple has to do is let them rot in the sun.
Just of my curiosity. Since Proview Shenzhen is claiming Apple did not purchase the right to the trademark, what will happen if Apple sues Proview Taiwan for misrepresentation and ask for damage (payment to Proview Shenzhen ), legal fee, etc.?
Apple already won their case against Proview last June where the Hong Kong court (the jurisdiction specified in the trademark sale contract) found the sale valid and found Proview to be in breach of the contract. At his point Apple could sue Proview’s ass off. Except Proview don’t have an ass to sue. Proview is effectively bankrupt in all respects, financially and morally. Their creditors are chomping at their heals.
That’s what they’ve been doing. The point is, whatever ProView may win in China will be given back by the HK courts.
Proview: Just DIE already, fracking leaches.