Panic of Apple

Brief review of the case:

In 2000, Proview International, registered a “genius” name, “Ipad” as trademark in China, and got approved. Later, Proview International registered this name in other regions.

In 2009, the subsidiary of Proview International transferred the trademark “Ipad” to IP company, and can use “Ipad” in the region of Taiwan.

In 2010, Apple released “Ipad”, and got “Ipad” name in Taiwan from IP company.

In the same year, Apple filed a lawsuit against Proview International, trying to get the use of “Ipad” name in Mainland China.

In the end of 2011, Apple failed in this case, and appealed to a higher court. 

This month, Proview has asked the Chinese government to block the import and export of the popular tablet.

Proview International

As a company faces bankruptcy, its owners are so happy for their previous registration.  The name “Ipad” is the only valuable treasure that may save this company, of course, Proview International will make full use of it and get as many as possible from Apple.
 
Reaction of market

Apple’s iPad 2 tablet has been pulled from Amazon’s website in China. Apple could face a fine of 240 million yuan (US$38 million) by Beijing market administrative authorities on its trademark infringement of iPad. Proview has now asked the Chinese government to block the import and export of that popular tablet. If the government really enfore that, the export ban would have significant impact for Apple.

Comments from all channels

A local press commented that the fail of Apple in this lawsuit shows the attitude for the protection of intellectual property. It is a slap those who think that China does not have intellectual property. Many jokes on Weibo ”we do not have a mature system for intellectual property, but we do have laws to protect it”.  Some start to think which name Apple will use for “Ipad”. Getting new ideas from this case, the name from “Apad” to “Zpad” has been registered in China by all kinds of informed, maybe boring and dreaming people. Other names "BluePad", "ThinPad", "TouchPad", "NextPad" are also not available right now.

I am so interested to see what will go on, maybe I will be cursed by nurmous Apple fans for being a bystander, but is there anything that you can do?