Apple settles with Chinese company over iPad trademark

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 02 Jul 2012 12:50 User comments (4)

Apple has agreed to pay Shenzhen Proview Technology $60 million to end a dispute over the ownership of the name "iPad."

The dispute, had it gone to a jury, could have possibly led to the tablet being blocked from sale in China, a key market for Apple.

Apple has long claimed they bought the global rights to the name "iPad" from Shenzhen in 2009 but Chinese authorities say the rights were never officially transferred over.

Last year, a Chinese court ruled that Shenzhen still owned the name, and they immediately asked Chinese authorities to seize iPads in the nation.

Apple had purchased the name in various regions from an affiliate of Shenzhen, which trademarked the name in 2001, for the measly sum of $55,000. The original court ruling said Proview was not bound by the sale.

Tags: Apple iPad Settlement Shenzhen Proview Technology

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4 user comments

12.7.2012 10:50

LordRuss

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"Apple has long claimed they bought the global rights to the name "iPad" from Shenzhen in 2009 but Chinese authorities say the rights were never officially transferred over."

Far be it for me to jump into the gooey pool of Apple's still throbbing crimson guts, but doesn't this sound like they got set up for failure? At the very least Apple just ran out the door, too bothered to 'flush' (as it were) & the next guy in the stall is obviously disgusted.

Still, $60 mill is a quite a hefty settlement for something that was originally be sold as a 'whoops' on Apple's behalf. I wonder if Chinese law also includes a gag clause like it does here in the US, because Apple certainly got a lot of mileage out of the iPad name before we started to hear about any law suit here.

22.7.2012 16:57

hearme0

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Originally posted by LordRuss:
"Apple has long claimed they bought the global rights to the name "iPad" from Shenzhen in 2009 but Chinese authorities say the rights were never officially transferred over."

Far be it for me to jump into the gooey pool of Apple's still throbbing crimson guts, but doesn't this sound like they got set up for failure? At the very least Apple just ran out the door, too bothered to 'flush' (as it were) & the next guy in the stall is obviously disgusted.

Still, $60 mill is a quite a hefty settlement for something that was originally be sold as a 'whoops' on Apple's behalf. I wonder if Chinese law also includes a gag clause like it does here in the US, because Apple certainly got a lot of mileage out of the iPad name before we started to hear about any law suit here.

While I agree whole-heartedly with you here, and most of the time..........I must say Lord......your analogies are sometimes daunting and hard to interpret how your thoughts are applicable.

38.7.2012 13:00

robertmro

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With billions in profit just waiting to pour in, $60 mill is chump change for Apple.
Right now Apple is worth more than Microsoft and Google combined and is expected to be worth $1 Trillion by the end of the year. - source Bloomberg News

410.7.2012 11:14

LordRuss

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Originally posted by hearme0:
While I agree whole-heartedly with you here, and most of the time..........I must say Lord......your analogies are sometimes daunting and hard to interpret how your thoughts are applicable.

And your comments have long been non-contributory & allusive to the topic at hand, much less anything to do with any analogy including any interpretation of my psyche... Actually contribute or go away. You make yourself too easy to become a target.

Originally posted by robertmro:
With billions in profit just waiting to pour in, $60 mill is chump change for Apple.
Right now Apple is worth more than Microsoft and Google combined and is expected to be worth $1 Trillion by the end of the year. - source Bloomberg News

This is absolutely scarey to say the least. [Is that simply stated enough for you hearme0?]

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Apple settles with Chinese company over iPad trademark

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