Apple seeks appeal in iPad trademark case in China
Apple wants a Chinese court to take another look at an iPad-related trademark lawsuit it filed against a local company.IDG News reports that Apple filed an appeal with the Higher People's Court of Guangdong Province on January 5, seeking once again to have its case against Proview Technology heard. Last month, the court rejected the lawsuit but gave Apple 30 days to file an appeal.The original legal fracas between the two companies began shortly after the iPad was introduced. Apple took aim at Proview for infringing its trademark of the iPad name. Proview countered by saying it registered for the trademark in several countries with filings dating back to 2000, and that when Apple acquired the name from United Kingdom-based IP Application Development in 2006, Proview never actually signed off on the deal, since it was made by one of the company's subsidiaries.Related storiesReport: Apple in trademark dispute over iPad nameA brief history of Apple's mobile-tech patent battlesApple patent and trademark skirmishes through the yearsThe outcome in a ruling there could present a noteworthy legal challenge for Apple, which is the target of a countersuit from Proview to the tune of 10 billion yuan ($1.58 billion). That suit, first reported by Caixin Online, claims that Apple is infringing on its iPad trademark with its namesake product.Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the appeal.The scuffle is one of many by Apple to control the names of its products and features. Several battles emerged last year over its technologies' names, including "App Store," "multi-touch," and "iCloud."
