iPad no more? Apple faces $1.6 billion trademark lawsuit

By: Chenda Ngak
Topics: Tech Talk

(Credit: Apple)

(CBS) - Apple could lose the right to call its famous tablet computer the iPad, if a Shanghai court rules against the computer company.

Full coverage of Apple at Tech Talk

Proview Technology, based in Hong Kong, has filed a lawsuit against Apple for trademark infringement. Apple is being investigated to see if the claims are true that the company used the iPad name in violation. Proview has had the trademark for iPad since 2000.

Why would Apple put such a high-profile product in jeopardy to begin with? The answer to that is complicated.

According to Macworld, Apple claimed the trademark was sold to the UK-based company IP Applications, which then sold to Apple in 2010. The only problem is Proview claims the transaction was made by its Taiwan subsidiary, not the Shenzhen-based subsidiary.

Apple's claims the Proview's Taiwan subsidiary was acting as a representative for the Shenzhen subsidiary. Obviously, Proview disagrees.

Bloomberg reports Apple failed to claim the trademark in China and has filed for an appeal to the Higher People's Court of Guangdong province. All cases are currently pending.

If Apple loses the battle over the iPad trademark, the company will either have to pay a $1.6 billion fine or drop the name.

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4 Comments +

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by venusvegasvada February 8, 2012 2:08 AM EST

So China knows what a trademark is? Wow, that's amazing.

Just another reason to bring our manufacturing home.

These big companies send their manufacturing over to third world countries because they can circumvent US laws and costs and use their slave labor. It's ok to use third world countries for that aspect, but there is more to the total package.

Well you get what you pay for don't you? You want third world cheap labor, you got it. Now take it along with the third world corruption too.

Don't come crying to anyone else. You want to play by the US rules and protection when it suits YOU though huh?

Greedy Hypocrites.

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by pwoon February 13, 2012 11:37 PM EST: You Americans know that America's and the West's days are number. Your whimpering sounds like the last gasps of a dying civilization. Think about it and try to deny it, you white trash


by Filmguy870 February 7, 2012 10:25 PM EST: ..ok...call it the aPad (pronounced "ay-pad') now, pay me a Million bucks and save 1.5 billion!!!; Reply to this comment


by Bravadu February 7, 2012 6:51 PM EST: Sounds like they want to renegotiate the original deal now that the ipad is a blockbuster:
Step 1 - sell Apple something from your right hand.
Step 2 - claim infringement and that only the left hand had the right of sale
Step 3 - PROFIT; Reply to this comment