trademark

Legal
April 24, 2012
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Apple and Proview likely to settle dispute over iPad trademark

By on April 24, 2012 at 8:50 PM.

Apple and Proview likely to settle dispute over iPad trademark

Last week, Apple and Proview initiated talks in an attempt to resolve an ongoing legal dispute over the iPad trademark, and the Chinese company is confident that it will receive a settlement offer from Apple, the Associated Press reports. “It is likely that we will settle out of court. The Guangdong High Court is helping to arrange it and the court also expects to do so,” said Ma Dongxiao, a lawyer for Proview. “Actually Proview always expected to settle out of court from the beginning. I don’t know if Apple has changed its attitude, but I believe that the key point now is the price.” In a previous statement, Apple claimed it would never “knowingly abuse someone else’s trademarks,” and said that Proview “still owe a lot of people a lot of money, they are now unfairly trying to get more from Apple for a trademark we already paid for.” Fu Shuangjian, the Deputy Director of China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce, however, has already stated that Proview is still the legitimate owner of the iPad trademark in the country. If the companies cannot reach a settlement, the Guangdong High Court will rule over the matter.

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Legal
February 24, 2012
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Proview brings iPad trademark battle to U.S.

By on February 24, 2012 at 11:50 AM.

Proview brings iPad trademark battle to U.S.

Proview International on February 17th asked a California court to prevent Apple from using the iPad name in the United States, Bloomberg reports. The Chinese company — which Apple claims sold it the rights to the iPad trademark in 10 countries, including China — says Apple subsidiary IP Application Development Ltd. made “false” statements to Proview before the sale and is now asking a Superior Court in Santa Clara to nullify the deal. A court in Shanghai on Thursday rejected Proview’s request to block sales of the iPad within the city. The Cupertino-based company released the iPad to China in 2010, and it is now the second-biggest iPad market in terms of revenue for Apple. More →

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Legal
February 23, 2012
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Apple scores a win in Shanghai court, iPad sales to continue

By on February 23, 2012 at 9:00 AM.

Apple scores a win in Shanghai court, iPad sales to continue

A Shanghai court has rejected Proview International’s request to block the sales of Apple’s iPad, reports Reuters. According to the publication’s sources, the Pudong New Area People’s Court in Shangai on Wednesday issued a ruling in Apple’s favor following a trademark infringement complaints filed in Shanghai. While the decision only covers iPad sales within that city, the victory comes after the Cupertino-based company was handed a string of defeats in smaller courts throughout China. Apple has appealed a December judgement that saw a Shenzhen court rule in favor of Proview, and the hearing is scheduled for February 29th in China’s southern province of Guangdong. More →

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Legal
February 22, 2012
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Apple defends rights to iPad name in Shanghai court

By on February 22, 2012 at 9:35 AM.

Apple defends rights to iPad name in Shanghai court

Apple on Wednesday defended itself in a Shanghai court against Proview International, which claims Apple is violating a trademark it holds on the “iPad” name, the New York Times reported. Proview’s allegations have prevented the Cupertino-based company from selling its popular tablet in numerous smaller Chinese cities, however Apple Stores in Beijing and Shanghai continue to sell the device. The four-hour session at the Pudong New Area People’s Court ended without any ruling from the district judge, though both sides reportedly presented new evidence in the case. Apple claims it acquired the iPad trademark from Proview in 2009. “We bought Proview’s worldwide rights to the iPad trademark in 10 different countries several years ago,” the company said in a statement. “Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple in China and a Hong Kong court has sided with Apple in this matter. Our case is still pending in mainland China.” Proview claims that Apple is using the iPad name illegally, however, as the subsidiary that licensed the trademark to Apple was not authorized to do so. More →

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Legal
February 20, 2012
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Chinese court orders ban on Apple’s iPad

By on February 20, 2012 at 9:05 AM.

Chinese court orders ban on Apple’s iPad

A lawyer representing Proview International on Monday announced that the Intermediate People’s Court in Huizhou, a city in southern China, ruled on Friday that distributors should stop selling iPads in China, Associated Press reports. Proview has claimed ownership of the “iPad” name in China and it says Apple is violating its trademark. “We bought Proview’s worldwide rights to the iPad trademark in 10 different countries several years ago. Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple in China and a Hong Kong court has sided with Apple in this matter,” Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said earlier in response to the lawsuits. Proview is looking to prevent Apple from importing or exporting the popular tablet in China and may sue the Cupertino-based company for as much as $2 billion in the United States. At least 45 iPads had been pulled from store shelves in various Chinese cities last week, however Apple’s tablets were still being sold at numerous retail locations across the country. More →

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Legal
February 17, 2012
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Chinese firm may sue Apple for $2 billion in U.S. over iPad name

By on February 17, 2012 at 9:05 AM.

Chinese firm may sue Apple for $2 billion in U.S. over iPad name

On Friday, the Chinese company that claims to hold the trademark on the “iPad” name, threatened to sue Apple in the U.S. for $2 billion dollars, reports the AFP. Proview Technology claims it owns the Chinese rights to the iPad name and the company’s lawyers are looking to prevent Apple from importing or exporting the popular tablet in China. “Right now we are selecting from three American law firms to sue Apple in the United States for $2 billion in compensation,” said the chairman of Hejun Vanguard Group, a company working with creditors to restructure Proview. Proview’s chief executive Yang Rongshan has repeatedly denied allegations that the company is extorting Apple in order to pay off its debt.”We own [the iPad trademark] in China,” Rongshan said. “If you were in my position… you would try to protect your rights.” Apple has said that it previously licensed the iPad trademark and Proview is failing to honor its earlier agreement. More →

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Legal
February 16, 2012
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iPad trademark battle heats up as more Apple tablets seized

By on February 16, 2012 at 11:15 AM.

iPad trademark battle heats up as more Apple tablets seized

Chinese authorities have seized iPad tablets in at least two more cities as the battle over the “iPad” name rages in the East. Officials seized a small number of iPads earlier this week related to a complaint filed by Proview Technology, the China-based owner of the iPad trademark. Proview is seeking to block sales of Apple’s iPad and to stop the wildly popular tablet from being exported from China. Now, an unknown quantity of iPads has been seized by authorities in Zhengzhou and Qingdao, China according to Reuters, which citing a website belonging to the China Business News newspaper. Proview says it has asked regulators in more than 40 cities across China to investigate Apple’s alleged trademark violation, while Apple argued earlier that it had reached an agreement to license the iPad name. “Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple in China,” an Apple spokeswoman said this past Tuesday. “Our case is still pending in mainland China.” More →

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Legal
February 15, 2012
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Apple’s iPad 2 pulled from Amazon China as lawsuit looms

By on February 15, 2012 at 8:10 AM.

Apple’s iPad 2 pulled from Amazon China as lawsuit looms

Apple’s class-leading iPad 2 tablet has been pulled from Amazon’s website in China following a lawsuit filed by Chinese firm Proview International. Proview recently filed suit against Apple for using its trademarked “iPad” name, seeking to ban sales of the iPad in China and abroad. Apple contends that it licensed the name from Proview, which has now unlawfully reneged on its deal. “Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple in China,” and Apple spokesperson said on Tuesday. “Our case is still pending in mainland China.” While no ruling has been made, Chinese officials reportedly seized a number of Apple tablets earlier this week and now Amazon has pulled the iPad from its website, as has rival Chinese retailer Suning. It is not currently clear if the sales halts are court-ordered. More →

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Legal
February 14, 2012
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Chinese firm looks to block iPad sales across the globe

By on February 14, 2012 at 4:40 PM.

Chinese firm looks to block iPad sales across the globe

On Monday, Chinese officials seized 45 iPads in response to a trademark complaint from Proview International, the owner of the “iPad” name in China. Proview has now asked the Chinese government to block the import and export of the popular tablet, reports Bloomberg. “We are applying to customs to stop any trademark- infringing products from imports to China and also for exports,” said Roger Xie, a lawyer representing Proview. “Apple wants to postpone and continue infringement of the iPad in China.” Apple maintains that it has purchased rights to the iPad name in 10 countries from Proview, including in China. “Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple in China,” said Carolyn Wu, Apple’s Beijing-based spokeswoman. “Our case is still pending in mainland China.” The iPad is manufactured by Foxconn in Brazil and in China, so an export ban on the popular tablet would have significant ramifications for Apple. More →

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Tablets
February 13, 2012
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Chinese authorities seize iPads over trademark infringement

By on February 13, 2012 at 7:35 PM.

Chinese authorities seize iPads over trademark infringement

Chinese officials seized 45 iPads in response to a trademark complaint filed recently by Proview International Holdings over the iPad name, reports the Hebei Youth Daily. The tablets were seized from store locations within Shijiazhuang, the capital of the Hebei province in northern China. In April 2010, Apple sued Proview claiming ownership of the iPad trademark in China. On November 17th, however, the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court rejected Apple’s claims, leading the Cupertino-based company to appeal the ruling to the Higher People’s Court of Guangdong province. Proview registered the iPad trademark in various countries as early as 2000, with the the Shenzhen-based unit having registered the trademark in China in 2001. Apple began selling the iPad in China in 2010. More →

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Mobile
January 19, 2012
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Samsung files trademarks for ‘Samsung Joy’ and ‘Samsung Fresh’ smartphones

By on January 19, 2012 at 8:35 PM.

Samsung files trademarks for ‘Samsung Joy’ and ‘Samsung Fresh’ smartphones

On January 13th, Samsung filed trademarks for “Samsung Joy” and “Samsung Fresh.” Both trademarks were registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and labeled as “telephones; smart phones; mobile phones; computer software for mobile phones, portable media players and handheld computers.” No other details were given, but we could certainly see related announcements at next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. More →

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Legal
December 22, 2011
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Hasbro sues Asus for naming its tablet the ‘Transformer Prime’

By on December 22, 2011 at 7:45 PM.

Hasbro sues Asus for naming its tablet the ‘Transformer Prime’

Toymaker Hasbro recently filed a lawsuit against Asus for naming its new convertible Android tablet the “Transformer Prime.” According to The Verge, Hasbro has a pending trademark for “Transformers Prime,” which it used in 2010 for an animated television series. The company also owns four other trademarks related to the “Transformers” name. Hasbro said in a statement that it filed the lawsuit to “aggressively protect its brands,” but it doesn’t appear that the company is seeking an injunction against the Asus Transformer Prime tablet just yet. Asus has 21 days to respond and it has not yet issued a statement on the matter. More →

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Legal
December 7, 2011
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Apple loses iPad trademark suit in China, could owe $1.5 billion in damages

By on December 7, 2011 at 9:40 PM.

Apple loses iPad trademark suit in China, could owe $1.5 billion in damages

Apple recently lost a trademark suit in China after it attempted to sue a Chinese firm for infringing on its iPad trademark. Apple originally filed a complaint against Proview Technology, which argued that it registered for the iPad trademark in 2000, long before Apple introduced the tablet. Proview Technology says it continues to use the iPad moniker in China and several other countries and is now seeking $1.5 billion in compensation from Apple. The iPhone maker has six Apple Stores in China and, according to Reuters, executives believe they have just “scratched the surface” in terms of the sales potential that the Chinese market will offer. The company plans to open more stores to help fight a growing outcrop of fake Apple Store locations and, as such, it is important for Apple to be able to use the iPad trademark in the country.

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