Apple Loses Chinese Lawsuit Against Proview Technology Over 'iPad' Trademark

Ah, the joys of the global economy with national laws affecting commerce.

In the U.S., one cannot squat on a name. Unless a company has actively used the name in a product, one would not usually be able to claim harm and collect damages. I am not familiar with the laws in China, however.

Wait... There's laws in China? :rolleyes:

Lovely.

Knock-off junk-ware bearing the "iPad" name in a major market. :rolleyes:

I would go in and sue the government for all the counterfeit apple stores, for not being able to control it. And if that didnt work, I would just decide not to sell ipads in china....watch how fast they change their mind....

Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face comes to mind.

Lovely.

Knock-off junk-ware bearing the "iPad" name in a major market. :rolleyes:

Are you saying Proview shouldn't be able to use a name they registered well over half a decade before Apple wanted it?

"Apple Inc bought the trademark rights in Europe and other places from Proview Taipei, but Proview Technology (Shenzhen) Co Ltd still held the iPad trademark in China.
Li said the two sides had been negotiating the trademark issue at the beginning of this year, but later Apple quit the talks as Proview International became trapped in a debt crisis and its assets were frozen by eight banks. [...]

The eight banks are Bank of China, China Minsheng Bank, China Development Bank, Guangdong Development Bank, Bank of Communications, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Hua Xia Bank and Ping An Bank."

Sounds like that trademark is the only thing of value Proview owns and the banks are the ones chasing this.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-10/27/content_11466712.htm

Apple should just bite the bullet..pay them and end the dispute.

No Apple shouldn't just go and pay them money. They should push this as far as it can go. The iPad is major international brand as far as products go and is only associated with Apple.

Apple should stand its ground.

I am very anti China. I hate how world treats them with kid gloves. Bastards can do anything they want and our government have to let them so we don't offend them or God forbid embarrass them. Apple should just get better lawyers. Its not like China is famous for protecting trading laws. They shamelessly copy anything they can put their hands on. How many of you seen iphone clones? Or clothes "NICE" "ADIDOS" "PUMO"?

Maybe you should study a little bit of history before you speak? The rest of the world have done whatever they want against China for over 100 years.

Notably, the Europeans back then have banned Opium domestically, knowing the drug's bad effects. Yet, the European countries were exporting Opium into China for profit like crazy.

When the Chinese government enact laws to outlaw Opium imports and tracking down pirate smuggling Opium into China what happened? The Opium War! Multiple European countries ganged up on China, some 8 countries against 1, enacting unequal treaties, seizing lands and making sure that Opium profits will continue to flow. Between that and Japanese invasion during WW2, China took 100 years to recover, and is recovering still.

Now, China is trying to play the western game as the west have called for it. Yet you are saying the West, especially Apple of all, with billions in the bank should not respect Chinese IP Laws just because it does not serve their interest?

Now onto why China is ruling against Apple, but rather slow against thousands of small shops faking Apple products... Well I'd think that it's justifiable. The Apple trademark case is worth billions and requires little man-power. All that's involvde is probably a judge or two or whatever their legal proceeding requires? Hunting down the thousnands of fake Apple shops, which is valued at, at the maximum, hundreds of thousands of dollars is comparitively a much less effecient use of resource. It will require police to hunt, procecuters from the state, along with whoever needed from the justice side of things.

If Proview owns the name, they own the name. They chose a name—after Apple started using i names, but before the iPod, it seems—that turned out to have value; and Apple chose a name with the potential for some expense! I still think they chose well.*

I remember that Apple had to call AirPort AirMac in some countries. So be it, but I think they’ll settle in the iPad case.

* Flashback to when the 8-year olds were snickering about Apple using the word “pad,” because they forgot that a million tech products were already called “pads”: mouse pads, keypads, trackpads, gamepads, DDR pads, numeric pads, wrist pads, chair pads, and the PADD tablets on Star Trek! And pad thai. Mmmmm... pad thai....

Uh oh. It looks as if when it comes to IP protection Apple may have a chink in its armor. There is a simple solution though, and I'm surprised that Apple's usually adroit marketing department didn't think of it. Just call the Chinese version of the product the "iPaddy". Problem solved.

Bad choice of words for this thread? :eek:

Maybe you should study a little bit of history before you speak? The rest of the world have done whatever they want against China for over 100 years.

Notably, the Europeans back then have banned Opium domestically, knowing the drug's bad effects. Yet, the European countries were exporting Opium into China for profit like crazy.

When the Chinese government enact laws to outlaw Opium imports and tracking down pirate smuggling Opium into China what happened? The Opium War! Multiple European countries ganged up on China, some 8 countries against 1, enacting unequal treaties, seizing lands and making sure that Opium profits will continue to flow. Between that and Japanese invasion during WW2, China took 100 years to recover, and is recovering still.

Now, China is trying to play the western game as the west have called for it. Yet you are saying the West, especially Apple of all, with billions in the bank should not respect Chinese IP Laws just because it does not serve their interest?

Because at the time Opium was the only thing Chinese wanted. To them Europeans were the savages and not the other way around. Read and you will find out how European ships were waiting weeks and months at the time to enter Chinese ports ( i think only 2 were allowing foreigner ships).
But I dont really care. I know one thing I would rather own Japanese made electronics than Chinese made. HUGE difference in quality. Sucks Apple doesn't see it that way.