Apple has been trying to get an edge over Android by asserting its patent rights and indulging in patent wars but now it seems as if the organization is going to face a major blow for allegedly copying the name iPad.
Reports suggest that Proview Technology, which uses the name iPad on many of its products which includes computer monitors and others, is going to win $1.6 billion along with an apology from the Cupertino based company, the maker of the iPad, for stealing the trademark name of the company. Apple might have to pay in between $38 million to $1.6 billion for the alleged stealing, which Proview is attempting to seek through filing a case against Apple.
Proview, a company based in China, also owns subsidiaries in Taiwan and Shenzhen. The company registered “iPad”, the name, in mainland China and Taiwan back in 2000 and 2001. In 2009, Apple purchased the iPad trademark of Proview for a big sum of $55,000 through a company termed IP Application Development but that deal, reports suggest, was only applicable to the trademark in which the Proview registered the name, in Taiwan. Yang Rongshan, the chairman of Proview, to further deteriorate matters against Apple, has said that he wasn’t aware of the fact that IP Application Development was linked to Apple. He further said that it was an arrogant move on part of Apple to not focus on the company rights and steal the iPad name in China.
Proview has its reasons to go behind Apple as the company is in huge financial troubles and one way to get help to improve its financial state is to go behind trademarks. Last year, Proview sued Apple but Apple counteracted with a lawsuit of its own, saying that Apple had full rights to the name iPad.
If Proview gets the case ruled in its favor, it is going to help the company generate some money but legal cases are not solved as simply as some might think.
