Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer
Please enter a legal issue and/or a location
Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select

Find a Lawyer

More Options

Apple Settles China iPad Trademark Feud for $60M

By Andrew Lu | Last updated on

After paying $60 million to a Chinese company, Apple is now free to use the iPad name and sell the popular tablet freely in China.

Apple had been hampered from selling its popular iPad in China because of a protracted legal dispute with Chinese company Proview over the iPad trademark in China, reports Reuters.

Proview had trademarked the name back in 2001, well before Apple came up with the iPad.

Apple was aware that Proview had rights to the trademark and Apple actually thought that it had already bought the iPad trademark from Proview, a monitor maker, reports Reuters. However, the Chinese company claimed that Apple dealt with only one unit of Proview and so the other units of Proview still owned the rights to the trademark "iPad."

So when Apple tried to introduce the iPad in China, they were met with legal resistance. In an action in a Chinese court, the court ruled in favor of Proview and said the company still owned the rights to the iPad trademark in China. Apple appealed that decision and has been working with Proview on a settlement ever since.

After months of haggling, the two sides finally came to an agreement, and Apple agreed to pay Proview $60 million for the iPad China trademark.

This case offers a good lesson to companies to be aware of trademark laws and rights abroad when offering products internationally. While Apple did do its due diligence and tried to buy the iPad name from Proview, Apple failed to check that the unit they were bargaining with had the power to sell all the rights to the iPad trademark in China.

Related Resources:

Was this helpful?

You Don’t Have To Solve This on Your Own – Get a Lawyer’s Help

Meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help.

Or contact an attorney near you:
Copied to clipboard