Chinese Court Rules Against Apple

It may get a little harder to get hold of an iPad in China these days. The Intermediate People’s Court in Huizhou, a city in southern China’s Guangdong province, ruled on this Friday against Apple and said they did not have the right to market iPads in China. Shenzhen Proview Technology claimed victory in their battle against Apple.

Shenzhen Proview Technology is going after Apple in several courts all over China in order to keep Apple from selling iPads. This ruling will not have such far reaching effects. Apple said that its case in mainland China was still pending and that they plan on appealing this ruling.

Apple said in a statement that they own the rights to the iPad name,

“We bought Proview’s worldwide rights to the iPad trademark in 10 different countries several years ago. Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple in China and a Hong Kong court has sided with Apple in this matter,”

Because of the rulings of smaller courts iPads have been banned from being sold in certain cites but have not been banned nationwide.

Shenzhen Proview Technology registered the iPad trademark in China in 2001. Proview says that they had intended on making a product called an “Internet Personal Access Device” that employed touch panel technology.

The company says it plans to ask China’s customs agency to block imports and exports of iPads.

Apple had purchased the name form a Proview affiliate for around $55,000 and say that gave them the right to market the iPad in more than 20 countries. Proview says they are not bound by the agreement.

Apple has already won a ruling in Hong Kong but that ruling will have no benefit to this case as Hong Kong, while part of mainland China has a separate legal system that is not honored in mainland China.

The iPhone and iPad devices are widely popular in China.

Do you think Apple will be able to win its lawsuits in China and resume sales there unhindered?