Tuesday, February 21st 2012
ProView Open To Talks with Apple Over iPad Trademark
After taking Apple to court over alleged infringement of the iPad trademark, successfully convincing the court over the allegations, leading to incidents of Chinese authorities pulling iPad off shelves, and taking it further to seek an seeking an export ban, ProView softened its stand. ProView's lawyer Xie Xianghui said that his client is open to talks with Apple over reaching a settlement. He believes that both sides are "still able to sit together and reach an out-of-court settlement."
The saga began with Apple acquiring rights to use the "iPad" brand name in China from ProView, which the latter claimed was acquired using dubious means, through a newly floated company by Apple, without ProView knowing it who it was really dealing with. This way, Apple probably bought rights to the brand name for much lower than what ProView would have sold them for, had it known who it was dealing with. iPad went on to become one of Apple's most successful brands. ProView sought a large amount of money from Apple in damages.
Source:
ABC News
The saga began with Apple acquiring rights to use the "iPad" brand name in China from ProView, which the latter claimed was acquired using dubious means, through a newly floated company by Apple, without ProView knowing it who it was really dealing with. This way, Apple probably bought rights to the brand name for much lower than what ProView would have sold them for, had it known who it was dealing with. iPad went on to become one of Apple's most successful brands. ProView sought a large amount of money from Apple in damages.
12 Comments on ProView Open To Talks with Apple Over iPad Trademark
Even if Apple accepts...I've seen this movie. Proview dies with a knife in their back and Apple goes on to rule the universe unopposed! :D
I had a domain+hosting service. I no longer needed hosting. I cancelled the hosting but asked to keep the domain. They failed to transfer the domain "in time" but somehow managed to register it with their sister company. 5 years now. Trying to sell it back to be for $1000.
ProView are doing the same. They didnt and havent got a widely successful product under the name iPad, but they try to camp the name for $.
You buy a plot of land that you intend to farm, it doesn't go especially well, and the farm doesn't really get off the ground. Oil is struck in the land near yours.. and it turns out you have oil. It's just your good fortune.
What's surprising is that Apple legal have left any room for Proview to move.. what may be happening is that Chinese law is favouring the little Chinese company, because they know Apple won't move production out of China and they can afford to pay Proview millions if they need to.
This was their plan all along. It is the only way they win something. If Apple can't sell the iPad in China it will lose a lot of money, but ProView won't get anything. Squeezing money from Apple, that's all ProView wants.
Proview had used a similar name for a very different product. Arguably, there was no conflict at all because of very different product/market. Where exactly did they earn rights to profits from a product they had nothing to do with?
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Let's put it a different way for a different "feel".
You have a gf/wife called Sarah. Well, I had a one-night stand a long time ago called sarah, here in my country "X". So if you and your gf/wife ever come to X then I want my visitation rights to your Sarah. Every Tuesday night please. Lucky fortune good time. Thanks for your understanding and compliance with my rights to my oil field.
:confused::banghead:
I'm not saying the law is right, but that's the way it works. You're welcome to Sarah btw, if she'd go with you then I don't.. nah I'm joking :) However if it was something I wanted to keep.. then the law doesn't work that way where I live, and I wouldn't take her where you lived in the law worked that way.