Apple Makes Settlement Offer in iPad Trademark Case, But 'Big Gap' Remains

Xinhua reports on comments from a Proview lawyer claiming that Apple has for the first time put forth a settlement offer in the dispute over the "iPad" trademark in China. The offer came as part of settlement talks suggested by the court overseeing the case.

"We feel that the attitude of Apple Inc. has changed. Although they expressed that they were willing to negotiate, they have never taken any action before. But now, they are having conversations with us, and we have begun to consult on the case," said [Proview attorney] Xie Xianghui in an interview with Xinhua on Sunday. [...]

Xie said the two sides have discussed a compensation package, and Apple Inc. has tabled an amount it thinks appropriate. But the Proview side has not agreed on a deal, and Xie would not disclose the amount of money offered by Apple Inc..

proview logo
A settlement offer from Apple does not necessarily mean that the case is nearing a resolution, as Bloomberg notes that a "big gap" remains between Proview and Apple in their expectations of a settlement figure.

“The Guangdong Higher People’s court is trying to mediate this, and both parties are trying to negotiate and come to a settlement,” Xie said. “Right now, there is still a big gap between the two sides on the settlement amount.”

Apple contends that it purchased the Chinese rights to the iPad trademark from Proview's Taiwanese arm in a December 2009 deal encompassing rights in a number of countries and carrying a $55,000 purchase price. But Proview has argued that the Chinese rights were controlled by its Chinese arm and that the Taiwanese unit had no ability to sell them to Apple, despite the fact that corporate officers common to both units were involved in the deal.

Reports on Proview's damage claims have varied, but sources have indicated that the company has been seeking as much as $2 billion in compensation from Apple to turn over the iPad trademark in China.

Top Rated Comments

NutsNGum Avatar
151 months ago
Apple ought to sue the Taiwanese arm for the value of the settlement for mis-selling them the rights in the first place, then. As essentially they've just given them fifty-five grand for nothing
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nuckinfutz Avatar
151 months ago
Just pay them the money and then raise the price of Macs and other devices in China to pay for it.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
slrandall Avatar
151 months ago
Not in Apple's best interest to have conflicts in China..

More like: Not in China's best interest to have conflicts with Apple.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joe-Diver Avatar
151 months ago
I'd just pull the iPad from China. Sell it in surrounding markets and make sure the Chinese people know why this is happening.

Business and government are too tightly linked in China. This whole thing is a scam to get money out of Apple. Real shame too as Apple is honestly trying to do fair business in China.

I wouldn't move manufacturing or stop sales of other products....just the iPad....until enough backlash comes at the government and defunct entity ProView from the people. They'll still be able to get iPads.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
charlituna Avatar
151 months ago
PROVIEW claims Apple made an offer.

Doesn't make it true
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
albusseverus Avatar
151 months ago
Extortion, nothing more.

Proview is defunct.

All Chinese companies are Chinese government joint ventures with Taiwanese companies (don't, for a minute, believe the rhetoric). There is no difference here.

It's the price of doing business in China.

If you keep publicly publishing reports that you're cleaning up our working conditions and shaming us with negative publicity, we'll fine you via a dummy company.

And the Western media toadie up to China, making a big deal out of an issue Apple has been quietly dealing with for years, so China can blame Apple !! It's great to see Murdoch et al getting on their knees for their new lords, China.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how functions. As noted by The Washington Post,...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
Cyber Monday Deals Feature 2022

40+ Apple Cyber Week Deals for AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 26, 2023 9:47 am PST by
Cyber Week has taken the place of Black Friday, and you'll find some of the same deals still around for the next few days, although many from Black Friday have now expired. This includes dozens of record low prices on Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iPhone, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
General Black Friday Deals 2022 Green

40+ Apple Black Friday Deals Still Available for AirPods, iPhone, iPad and More

Friday November 24, 2023 5:01 am PST by
Black Friday 2023 has officially ended, but we're still tracking some of the best deals of the year on Apple products like AirPods, iPad, iPhone, MacBook, and many more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically, in this article we're...