North Korea technology company Ryonghung has recently released a new tablet using the trademarked name of Apple's popular device, the iPad. The company's tablet is called the "Ryonghung iPad" and lets users read the news, work on documents, and perform other actions across more than 40 different pre-installed apps (via Gizmodo).

Tech specs for the Ryonghung iPad detail a device with 1GB RAM, an 8GB hard disk, a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, HDMI compatibility, a keyboard, and "network connection" capabilities. The advertising material details a few apps as well, relating to programs like a calculator, a health encyclopedia, a medical app, and an agricultural program.

nk ipad
As NK News pointed out, the heavy use of "iPad" in the device's marketing material violates Apple's trademarks.

A North Korean company is advertising a domestic tablet computer under the copyrighted name of one of Apple Inc.’s flagship products – the “iPad” – the DPRK’s latest edition of Foreign Trade magazine shows. The term “iPad” is registered as an Apple trademark on its website and while there are occasions when the company’s terms can be used, these generally need Apple’s authorization.

A different version of the Ryonghung iPad first appeared in North Korea in 2013, although then it lacked the "iPad" moniker and was called the "Ryonghung-trademarked tablet computer" by the media. North Korean versions of Apple devices have been seen in the past, with a computer bearing resemblance to the iMac showing up at a trade fair in Pyongyang in 2015. Created by a company called Blue Sky, the computer was an all-in-one device with an aluminum finish, black bezels, and white keyboard and mouse accessories.

Similarly, in 2014 reports surfaced of North Korea's "Red Star" Linux operating system and its overall resemblance to OS X at the time. The Red Star OS included a similar dock, wallpapers, tool bar, and more visual similarities to Apple's MacBook and iMac computer operating system. However, the Ryonghung iPad appears to be the first device launched out of North Korea that directly uses Apple branding.

Apple was asked if it would enter a trademark dispute with the North Korea-based company over the iPad brand, but a representative of the Cupertino company has yet to respond.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Top Rated Comments

Crosscreek Avatar
82 months ago
Lol ...North Korea lives in their own alternate reality some where between regular reality and Trump reality.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
82 months ago
Lol ...North Korea lives in their own alternate reality some where between regular reality and Trump reality.
I don't think the word "between" applies here. Mathematically speaking, those alternate realities are what are known as "non-metric spaces". One of the ones you mention is well-known for having a non-continuous function that only has a finite number of discrete values: such as "Yuge" and "Worst Ever".
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
82 months ago
I'm no legal expert, but I'd like to imagine that Apple has no valid trademark registered in North Korea and hence this does not infringe on anything as long as it's only marketed and distributed within North Korea, no?

Glassed Silver:mac
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SteveJobs2.0 Avatar
82 months ago
Offers operating system stability! Take that Android!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
retroneo Avatar
82 months ago
I would doubt that Apple has registered "iPad" as a trade mark in North Korea, and probably wouldn't be allowed to under US law due to sanctions. No common law trade mark rights would exist for Apple either, since Apple does not sell the iPad in North Korea. Therefore the name "iPad" is most likely available for Ryonghung to use in North Korea.

Ryonghung would have to sell the device under a different name in other countries. Just like Apple has to use different names in some countries - like Apple's AirMac Express ('https://www.apple.com/jp/compare-wifi-models/') in Japan.

TLDR: The North Korean company isn't infringing on Apple's trade mark rights.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrJohnnyN Avatar
82 months ago
Lol. Seems legit.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17 and iPhones Feature

iOS 17: 10 New Features That Just Launched

Sunday September 17, 2023 12:35 pm PDT by
In June, Apple announced iOS 17 with a wide range of new features and changes for the iPhone. Following over three months of beta testing, the free software update will be released this Monday, September 18 for the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have recapped 10 key features coming to the iPhone with iOS 17, with additional features coming later this year. The update should be released to...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 17 With StandBy, Live Voicemail, Improved Autocorrect, FaceTime Video Messages and Tons More

Monday September 18, 2023 10:05 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, the latest operating system updates that are designed for the iPhone and iPad. As with all of Apple's software updates, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 are available for free. iOS 17 is compatible with the iPhone XR/iPhone XS and later, while iPadOS 17 runs on the iPad mini 5 and later, the iPad 6 and later, iPad Air 3 and later, the second-generation 12.9-inch...
flighty standby

Best Apps With New iOS 17 and watchOS 10 Features

Monday September 18, 2023 3:02 pm PDT by
With the release of a new operating system, there are multiple features and design elements for developers to adopt. Now that iOS 17 is out, many major apps are getting interesting updates today, which we've rounded up below. watchOS 10 also has a new design language, so there are a range of Apple Watch updates to check out too. Flighty (Free, Premium Subscription) Popular flight tracking...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Event Still

iPhone 15's USB-C Port: 4.5W Charging for Accessories, USB 3.2 Gen 2 for Pro Models, and More

Saturday September 16, 2023 8:17 pm PDT by
In a support document published on Friday, Apple provided some additional details about the USB-C port found on all iPhone 15 models. First, Apple said all iPhone 15 models can charge an Apple Watch, AirPods case, or other small accessories connected to the USB-C port at up to 4.5W. Apple already announced this capability, but it had not provided the wattage information. Second, the...