Apple Can’t Use ‘iPad’ Name in China

After accusing Shenzhen, China-based Proview Technology of infringing on its iPad trademark, Apple saw its lawsuit rejected by a Chinese court which ruled that Proview had lawfully registered the "iPad" name as far back as the year 2000.

The court learned from Proview that its Taiwan unit had sold the ‘global’ iPad trademark to IP Application Development, a U.K.-based company, for the round sum of £35,000 (roughly $55,000) a few years back.

IP Application Development then transferred the trademark over to Apple, but the trademark for China's mainland market was not included in that agreement, Proview told the court.

The court thus ruled that the Shenzhen-based company holds the rights to the iPad dubbing in the Chinese market. Proview is now seeking over $1 billion compensation from Apple citing copyright infringement.