Asian firm Proview in iPad trademark battle with Apple.
A Chinese electronics company is trying to stop technology giant Apple from using the iPad name in China, suing the company for an unspecified amount.
Proview launched the attack in California, accusing the international firm of employing deception when it brought the trademark.
The case was filed in the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara on 17 February.
The monitor-making firm accused Apple of creating a UK registered “special purpose entity” by the name of ‘IP Application Development Ltd’ (IPAD) to buy the iPad name from them.
Apple concealed their true intentions in the matter.
A unit of Proview, which struggled financially during the global crisis, is already suing Apple in several Chinese courts in a bid to stop the sales of iPads across the country.
Legal experts said that there could be different results from the US and Chinese cases, but the lawsuit and delay in coming to a settlement may harm Apple’s sales and reputation.
Elliot Papageorgiou, a Shanghai-based partner and executive at law firm Rouse Legal (China) told a news agency, “In relation to the US, Apple is going to somewhat have a home-ground advantage.”
Proview alleged that IPAD lawyers said that the company would not be competing with the Chinese business, but failed to state why they needed the trademark.
In a filing, Proview said that request was made “with the intent to defraud and induce the plaintiffs to enter into the agreement.”
Apple repeated their statement, saying that it had bought Proview’s rights to the iPad trademark in 10 different countries several years ago.
It also said that the Chinese company refused to honour their agreement, a statement that a Hong Kong court is siding with.
