After their on-going legal hustle with Proview Technology, Asian Apple fans can rest assured that they’ll still be able to buy the iPad in Shanghai, thanks to a ruling by the Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court.
Just a few days ago we told you how Shenzhen based Proview were ready to negotiate with Apple over the alleged ‘iPad’ trademark infringement, however it now seems there will be no negotiating, not on Apple’s behalf anyway…
According to Reuters:
The Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court ruled in Apple’s favor after a hearing on Wednesday, the source with direct knowledge of the ruling said, confirming a report by the website of local official newspaper Xinmin Evening News.
The Chinese company, Proview Technology (Shenzhen), had said the U.S. tech giant was infringing on a trademark it owns in China.
China is important to Apple not only as a consumer market, but also because the country is a major production base for the iPad and other Apple products.
The hearing followed action by Chinese authorities only last week, who had reportedly seized a number of iPads from retailers in four Chinese cities. Proview said it would ask for a ban on imports and exports of the device, which could disrupt global supplies since it is manufactured in China.
I’m fairly sure this won’t be the last time we hear the name Proview.