Apple has come under fire in the US from a Chinese company claiming it owns the iPad name.
A unit of Proview International Holdings has already filed a lawsuit in its homeland, claiming it owns the iPad name thanks to a computer it released in the year 2000. It's seeking to ban sales in China (where the iPad is made), and possibly stop Apple exporting the device to foreign markets. Now it's taking the fight right to Silicon Valley, Reuters reports, bringing the ban a step closer to reality.
In its California lawsuit, Proview is accusing Apple of deceiving it when it bought the iPad trademark by not revealing its identity. It did this, Proview claims, by hiding behind a special purpose entity it'd created, named IP Application Development (or IPAD). Those crafty beggars.
Lawyers for this IPAD company claimed it wouldn't be competing with Proview in the consumer electronics market, and refused to say why it wanted the trademark, Proview claims.
Proview goes further to say those representations were made "with the intent to defraud and induce the plaintiffs to enter into the agreement." Apple's response? It repeated its statement that it bought Proview's worldwide rights to the iPad trademark in 10 countries in 2009.
The iPad has been banned from sale in some Chinese cities because of the dispute. Foxconn's factories in the country, where Apple devices are assembled, are also being investigated by the Fair Labor Association. It's been accused of hiding child workers by Hong Kong labour campaigners.
Apple and Proview couldn't be more different, with the former turning in record profits while the latter struggles to stay afloat. Experts claim there could be different outcomes in the US and Chinese cases.
What do you make of the lawsuit? Let me know in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 20
Add your comment
anonymous 25 February, 2012 12:15
Is it wrong to want Apple to lose just because I'm sick of their sue everyone and everything behaviour?
tee.wilch 25 February, 2012 12:20
Yes. It's wrong. But damn would it be a nice outcome if they did.
Choccie Milk 25 February, 2012 13:33
While this is stupid the reasons for suing are loads better than when Apple sue companies.
anonymous 25 February, 2012 13:57
Agreed they have a far better case than apple have ever had suing anyone...
anonymous 25 February, 2012 14:04
A man sells Apple the rights to a trademark he hasn't used in years. Then the man turns around and says that the Proview subsidiary that sold the rights didn't have the actual right to sell those rights. It's his mainland Proview company that had those rights. Same guy. The article doesn't mention that. It also doesn't mention that a Hong Kong court used some pretty strong language condemning that behavior. It's just that the mainland Chinese courts have a very... local view of what's right. This is a shakedown, pure and simple. And to the people rooting for Proview, it says a lot about you that your own bigotry makes you unwilling to look at a case for what it is. Please don't ever sit on a jury.
anonymous 25 February, 2012 14:41
Anon 14:04 - I think it says more about the image that Apple seem compelled to develop since they went on their suing spree...
anonymous 25 February, 2012 15:10
well apple you know what they say, kids in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. And you have thrown a lot!
i bet the company sued apple just because they're sick of hearing about it all the time! give them a taste of their own medicen
anonymous 25 February, 2012 15:41
"The real internet PC life just started and already indispensable exist in our life."
Apple should sue them for ripping off the iMac.
anonymous 25 February, 2012 17:06
Another bankrupt company tried suing Apple once and we all know how Psystar did on that.
anonymous 25 February, 2012 17:16
Apple once made the mistake of not protecting a concept it paid for/licensed from PARC. Bill Gates thought the idea of using windows instead of MS-DOS might be a good idea. Apple waited too long to sue...and lost since most of the government and the court system was already using Windows by then. Apple will never or should ever allow that to happen again.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 08:56
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're evil b*****ds who need to take their evil empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 08:56
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're evil b*****ds who need to take their evil empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 08:56
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're evil b******* who need to take their evil empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 08:56
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're evil ******** who need to take their evil empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 08:58
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're evil b****** who need to take their evil empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 08:59
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're b****** who need to take their evil empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 08:59
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're b****** who need to take their empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 09:06
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're evil b****** who need to take their evil empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Naryan 26 February, 2012 09:08
I want Apple to lose because they're Apple and they're evil b****** who need to take their evil empire and be wiped from the face of the earth. They have no conscience.
BUT
This is also a legitimate case, they've stolen the name... completely, right down to the lower case "i" and Apple needs to pay for it.
Martin Brown 26 February, 2012 23:13
surely they have quite a strong case apple have clearly stole the name