Chinese Customs Tells Proview That Ban of iPad Exports Would be Difficult

Reuters reports that Proview Technology will apparently have a hard time blocking Apple iPad exports from China. On Tuesday, we reported that Proview was seeking a block on both Chinese imports and exports of the iPad over a trademark dispute with Apple. Given that Apple's iPad manufacturing is centered in China, such a move would be "catastrophic" for Apple.

ipad 2 china

However, China's customs authorities told Proview that it would be difficult to execute such a ban due to the popularity of Apple's products:

"The customs have told us that it will be difficult to implement a ban because many Chinese consumers love Apple products. The sheer size of the market is very big," Yang Long-san, chief of Proview Technology (Shenzhen), told Reuters in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

As many commenters have noted, China's Foxconn manufacturers many of Apple's products including the iPad, and a ban on exports would negatively impact Foxconn as well.

Apple claims that it purchased the Chinese rights to the trademark several years ago, but the original owner Proview and Chinese courts have disagreed with that assertion. Apple's case is still pending with Chinese courts as it seeks to appeal earlier rulings.

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Top Rated Comments

OllyW Avatar
175 months ago
What is it that Proview actually sells?

Do they actually have an "ipad" product? Have they ever had one? Or have they just been squatting on a name?
They make monitors.

lifeinhd (one of our forum members) posted a picture last week showing the use of the name on one of their monitors purchased before Apple announced the iPad.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=14283123&postcount=46

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lironl Avatar
175 months ago
Hang on a minute

Hang on a minute, didn't anyone think that this answer reported to be from Chinese customs is a bit odd? I mean, you would think that an export is banned or not banned based on a legal verdict, not based on whether it's popular or not.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farleysmaster Avatar
175 months ago
So what's a screen company doing trademarking the "ipad" name again? :confused:

Why shouldn't they? Why is a games console called an xbox when it's not an x-shaped box?

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Gentile reminder of what a corrupt, communist country China is.

What has it got to do with communism? All sorts of governments can be corrupt, and many would argue China is not (and never was) truly communist.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sammich Avatar
175 months ago
Next on: ProView begins bankruptcy procedures.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
175 months ago
They are clearly just kicking up a ruckus and hoping to pressure Apple into settling for money, what with the imminent release of ipad3 and all. It's opportunism at its ugliest.

For once, here's hoping Apple uses all that wealth to sue said company into bankruptcy! :mad:
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FloatingBones Avatar
175 months ago
What is it that Proview actually sells?

Do they actually have an "ipad" product? Have they ever had one? Or have they just been squatting on a name?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)