Apple, Inc. lost a trademark dispute inChina against local monitor vendor Proview Technology. Proviewregistered 'iPAD' and 'IPAD' as its trademarks in 2000 in China andseveral other countries.
Last Apple filed two lawsuits againstProview claiming that the latter infringed on its trademarks.
In 2009, the Taiwanese subsidiary ofProview sold the 'iPAD' and 'IPAD' trademark to UK company IPApplications. In 2010, IP Applications sold them to Apple forabout $55,000.
However, the Court in China ruled thatthe transfer of the trademarks was not valid since it was theTaiwanese subsidiary which carried out the sale and not the Chineseparent company. and thus the parent company retained the right to usethe trademarks on the Chinese mainland. Am a bit hazy with this partsince it seems that the court recognized the transfer of the iPadTrademark, just not its use in China.
Proview has filed its own trademarkinfringement lawsuit against Apple, and is after US$1.5 billion incompensation.
Apple can appeal the decision, but it may have to settle with Proview if it want's to sell its iPad under the "iPad" name in China now.
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