“Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook met with senior Chinese leader Li Keqiang this week, in the strongest signal yet that the company is strengthening ties in a market it long neglected,” Loretta Chao reports for The Wall Street Journal. “The executive met with Mr. Li on Tuesday to discuss intellectual-property issues and greater cooperation, according to state media. In its evening news broadcast on Wednesday, state-run China Central Television showed Mr. Li meeting with Mr. Cook at Zhongnanhai, the closely guarded compound here that houses China’s top leaders.”
“It is a setting that senior Chinese officials often use for visiting foreign dignitaries and projects an image of growing ties between the gadget maker and the country that makes—and, increasingly, buys—its products,” Chao reports. “Mr. Li, currently China’s vice premier, is expected to succeed Premier Wen Jiabao next year as part of a broad once-a-decade leadership change.”
Chao reports, “The meeting came as Apple awaits a decision from a Chinese high court in Guangdong province on whether it has the rights to the iPad name in China, the Cupertino, Calif., company’s largest market outside the U.S. State media reports of the visit didn’t mention the legal battle, though it said intellectual-property rights were discussed.”
Read more in the full article here.
Jordan Kahn reports for 9ti5Mac, “According to representatives for the creditors of Shenzhen-based Proview, the company Apple is in a dispute with over the iPad trademark, Cook is on a ‘political public relations campaign’ regarding the legal disputes. Li Su, president of Hejun Vanguard Group who represents Proview’s creditors, made the remarks.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Why was Apple CEO Tim Cook in China? – March 26, 2012
Apple: CEO Cook met Chinese government officials in Beijing – March 26, 2012
Apple: Proview is lying about iPad trademark in China to stave off creditors – March 22, 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
China higher court hears Apple’s iPad trademark appeal – February 29, 2012
Apple iPad trademark case in Shanghai suspended; Proview injunction rejected – February 24, 2012
Proview sues Apple in the US, mass hilarity ensues – February 24, 2012
Proview files lawsuit in California against Apple over iPad trademark – February 24, 2012
Chinese court says Apple can continue selling iPads in Shanghai – February 23, 2012
Looks like Cook is whipping up a new recipe that will not include the sour Proview.
China, let’s kill Google and rule the world?
Game over man.
In a country where relationships are everything, TC is meeting with the next Premier of China. Meetings like this are not given lightly, and indicate a favored status.
It will be subtle, and barely seen influence, but influence there will be in the outcome of Proview’s suit against Apple.
Proview is history.
Not quite. Apple will be expected to reciprocate with a magnanimous gesture, maybe not $$ but rather an ‘investment in China’.
I predict an announcement in a week or so with regard to Proview and Apple’s deeper relationship commitments to the PRC.
I’m sure Apple was already looking to invest in China, given the short supply of iPhones, scalper problems, and HUGE market waiting to be tapped.
I take issue with the author stating that Apple has “neglected” China. Apple has done no such thing. The difference is Apple has not rolled over and given the Chinese government everything it demands for the right to do business in China like other Western companies have. Therein lies the delay.
Finally, Tim Cook has the trump card here: Who will pay more taxes to China this year, Apple or Proview (a bankrupt company)? How about over the next 10 years? So who should have the rights to the name “iPad” — the company who will pay millions in taxes, or the company about to be thrown out with the trash?
Apple has more money clout to offer versus provue or any chinese bank. More jobs for there work force too. Provue can offer nothing!
I wonder if the idiotic phrase “long neglected” translates to “long neglected to place massive bribes with the right high officials”.