Tag : China Intellectual Property Rights

Apple vs. Proview – What the Chinese Government Wants

Op-Ed Commentary: Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Mar. 12 – Much media attention and legal opinion has been directed towards the on-going Apple vs. Proview iPad trademark case in China, with special mention for the extensive and detailed coverage provided by Stan Abrams on his China Hearsay blog. Stan is based in Beijing and is an IP lawyer.

One aspect that has been missing from the debate concerning the case is the position of the Chinese government. This is a significant omission, not least because the Chinese judiciary is not independent of the government. Judges are appointed with their political affiliation being counted as the most important item on their list of credentials. This leaning towards the political nuances of China’s ruling Communist Party is placed at a higher premium than any actual legal expertise. This means that in effect, party policy overrules the existing rule of law, on the basis that as the government makes the laws, it can also interpret them as it wishes. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Economy and Politics, Legal and Regulatory | Tagged China Government, China Intellectual Property Rights, China IP, China Judiciary, China Legal, China Politics, China Trademark | 2 Comments

Apple Loses iPad Trademark Case in China

By Vivian Ni

Dec. 13 – Apple has recently hit a roadblock in its key growth market China, as a local Chinese court rejected the company’s ownership claim of its iPad trademark. The giant California-based technology company may therefore be forced to either change the name of its tablet computer products in China, or pay a large sum as compensation to its Chinese rival.

Apple’s loss in the legal case – where the U.S. company sued the Hong Kong-listed Proview Technology (Shenzhen) for trademark infringement – has been the latest development in a series of back-and-forth lawsuits between the two parties since 2006. Continue reading →