Apple loses bid to control iPad trademark in China

By Geoff Duncan December 7, 2011

ipad2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Shenzhen Municipal Intermedia People’s Court has rejected (Chinese) two trademark lawsuits filed by Apple over the trademark for the term “iPad,” ruling that the Chinese company Proview, based in Shenzen, had registered for the trademarks for “iPAD” and “IPAD” in China as far back as 2001. Although Apple had a contract to use the trademark, the court ruled that since Apple’s deal was only through a Taiwan-based subsidiary, it doesn’t apply to the company based in Shenzen.

If Apple were to lose the trademark battle over the iPad name, it might have to make a very expensive, separate deal with the Shenzen-based Proview—or sell the iPad under a different name altogether in China.

As with other worldwide markets, the iPad is the top-selling tablet device in China, accounting for almost three quarters of the tablet market in the second quarter of 2011, according to Beijing-based Analysys International (Chinese). Proview has tried—and failed—to launch its own tablet in China.

According to the court, in 2009 a Proview subsidiary in Taiwan sold the iPad trademark to IP Applications, a UK-based intellectual property clearinghouse. Apple subsequently inked a deal with IP Applications to use the iPad trademark.

However, the court found that since the contract was only with the Taiwanese subsidiary and the mainland company was not present at any trademark negotiations, the Shenzen-based Proview did not transfer any trademark rights in China, and Apple’s contract with IP Applications—and the Proview subsidiary in Taiwan—did not bind the Shenzen-based Proview.

Proview has a separate case against Apple pending in China, alleging trademark infringement over the iPad name. It’s seeking to bar the sale of the Apple iPad in China.

Apple has declined to comment on the case, but according to reports still has an option to appeal the court’s ruling.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

This one Apple Fitness feature completely changed how I exercise

Someone holding an iPhone with the Apple Fitness app open, showing the Custom Plans feature.

I have a confession to make: I'm not good at sticking to a workout routine. I love running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, etc. In the moment of those exercises and in the post-workout euphoria, I feel amazing. But when it comes to waking up early in the morning to do these things before work? Well, that's where I really struggle.

This has been a problem for a while now. I go to bed with the goal of waking up early and going to the gym, but as I groggily open my eyes to snooze the alarm on my iPhone 15 Pro Max, I end up falling back asleep. And I've been repeating this over and over and over again.

Mobile

Apple is about to do the unthinkable to its iPads

A person holding the iPad Air 4.

Earlier today, Apple announced that new iPads are coming this May. In my eyes, this seems to be “The Chosen One” generation. We’re likely getting an OLED display, a better keyboard (hopefully), and a chip ready to chomp the AI dinner. This gadget shall finally fill the techno-digital void in my life. At last.

Or maybe I am just trying to blindly convince myself to splurge over a thousand dollars for a machine that is “still not a Mac” and “can never be a fully fleshed out workstation.” But hey, people are spending $3,500 on a headset that gives them a headache and $700 for an AI thingamajig that can’t quite figure out what it really wants to do.

Mobile

The best iPads in 2024: the 5 best ones you should buy

The backs of Apple's iPad Air and iPad Pro, with the tablets place on a table.

Apple's iPad is undoubtedly one of the most popular tablets on the market right now. There are several different models to choose from, but no matter which one you go with, you'll be getting one of the best tablets out there. Still, Apple provides an abundance of choice here, and with so many different versions — and almost annual updates — it can be tricky to know which one is the best to get.

All of Apple's iPads are pretty great, and they're each designed with a slightly different audience in mind, so it's hard to pick a single one as "the best." That's why we've broken this list down by categories; after all, there's an ideal iPad for nearly every situation. Whether you're looking for the best overall iPad, the best iPad on a budget, something in the middle of the pack, or even the best small iPad, we've got you covered.