Apple doesn't want to set a precedent here. If they pay off this scumbag company for 1.6B every sick company in China will come after them. They can probably just keep fighting this until this company goes under or no longer has the resources to do anything.
And really if this company wants to fight this dirty Apple should fight dirtier. Does the company hold any other trademarks or patents that Apple can sue over? If they make any products can Apple disrupt their supply chain behind the scenes? Can they bribe any Chinese officials to make their lives a living hell in other ways? Squeeze their nuts till they cry mercy, I say, don't let go. Lowlife IP squatters like this need to be made an example of so no one dares try it again.
And yes I'm assuming they were squatting on the trademark. Were they actually making a product called iPad or were they just trademarking every iThing in the hopes that one day Apple would sell it in China?
See what happens when you deal with a country that has total domination, and the ability to do what ever the fuck they want. I say pull out of china. Pull out all apple manufacturing. Cant do it all at once but it can be done. Let china decide what to do with all those out of work employees. Screw china!!!!!!!! China thinks they have us by the balls. We depend on them for almost all our goods. Way to go Big business.
China expert Bill Bishop noted on DigiCha on Monday that, according to Chinese press, Proview is looking to cripple Apple's iPad sales by seeking an export ban from China Customs. Since most of Apple's iPads are manufactured in China, intervention from the country's customs agency could affect the global supply of iPads.
This will never happen. China is reliant on non Chinese companies having their product produced in China. It is a significant part of their income.
Regardless of who owns the name for iPad in China, I can not see the Chinese government stoping Apple having the iPad made in China and shipped to countries where they do own the name, especially with the new production facilities being built outside of China.
I say pull out all american manufacturing from china. It can't be done all at once but pull out over time. Screw china. They seem to feel as if they can do what ever they want and we are gonna just take it up the ass. Its time to send those pricks a message. We don't need you any more. You suck and you are not worthy of our money. Also we need to do some thing about all the corporate scum bags who sell our jobs to china. On top of that we need to do something about all the scum bag politicians who are bought and paid for by the corporate scum bags. We need to make our own goods and learn to make permanent jobs here in this country. China sucks and they deserve what they will be getting. This is the tip of the ice burg and there will be more to come. Once more thing. Who in the hell came up with the idea to ask china to buy our debt? Thats a joke.
China ALREADY has the Western World by the F**** Balls BIG TIME, my friend. Any citizen of a G20 country should contact their congressperson (or equivalent) ASAP on this kind of BS.
Depending on the Middle East for oil? PFFT cakewalk compared to what China is going to have over the WORLD this CENTURY. Jobs, Economy, Resources, Cheap Labour, Cheap Manufacturing, Stealing, Lying... AND MORE. Just wait 'till they get nukes or any decent non-China-made modern military gear then we can kiss our way of life in the G20 world GOODBYE. China will probably be first to Mars anyway, and will have true space-fighter "jets" at the end of 2099.
Actually, if this ban is successfully implemented, it could be a windfall for Apple.
Not allowed to use the term 'iPad' in China?
Fine.
Don't sell them there then.
But do sell them to the scalpers just outside China at twice the price.
I think a simple solution for apple would be to remove the word iPad from their tablets especially in china... I font think anyone will identify the iPad moniker with any other tablet.. Good luck to this company which is supposedly having the rights in china. If for whatever reasons China starts blocking the exports of Apple products out of china, Apple will be forced to move it else where maybe a six months delay in the next ipad release. Big deal, people who want the iPad will wait,
and in one of the meetings with the Chinese leaders asking what can be done for Apple to come back and use Chinese Manufacturing facilities TIm cook will be saying..
The thing is anyone who knows any of the facts behind this case immediately recognizes that China Proview's case is utter and complete bull@#$% - plain and simple.
China has a rather well documented habit of ignoring international laws and norms when it comes to a question of a Chinese company versus a foreign company. If this case had been filed in just about any other G20 country it would have been thrown out in about 12 seconds.
The entire premise is little more than a textbook definition of a shakedown ...
This is an interesting situation for Apple. So they licensed for all use of iPad and Proview is lying or someone at Apple messed up when securing the rights to the name.
Are those Brazilian iPad factories up and running yet? Note their market cap is listed as $155 million.
I think Proview is crooked and they are trying to get paid twice for the name. They are also greedy. They are worth 155 million and they want 1.5 bil on a technicality for a name that they already sold for 55,000 ?
Don't give them shit. If China is short sighted enough to ignore international laws allowing their companies to double dip, Apple can change the name there and just call it iSlate or macPad in China.
Manufacturing should not be an issue. If the Chinese are stupid enough to make it an issue, they will be they will be shooting themselves in the head. Apple has strong pull in China and new factories in Brazil. Perhaps it's time to make a deal to move manufacturing back to the good old USA.
Quickest solution would be for Tim Cook to stand up on stage at the launch of the iPad3 and say that due to trademark and work condition concerns this might be their last device manufactured in China and that Apple is actively looking at other options for production including discussions with other consumer electronics companies on the best way to introduce industry wide "ethically" manufactured devices, built in America...
20 minutes later the Chinese government will be explaining to Proview why they might be better off just settling for a reasonable amount of money or dropping the case.
Honda and other Japanese companies failed in chinese legal battles with products that were copied by local Chinese companies even the logo's were so similar and hard to tell apart. I agree that manufacturing in the US or even pretty much third world NZ ( foxcon into brazil ) would be one of the greatest gifts back to the american people right now any job is better than no job.
Foxcon has built so much up just for the manufacture of apple products that I agree with descramble's comment that the govt. would step in.
Look what happened about 10 years ago with the riots in china organized by the govt against Japanese companies who had invested in china , they destroyed supermarkets and businesses ( a japanese restaurant windows smashed and plundered- owned by a local chinese citizen just catering for the Japanese businessmen in china and were all taking pictures outside Japan embassy littered with stuff ( with Sony cybershot's might I add ) when the golden week vacationers started to cancel their holidays to Japan then the govt turned around and said all rioters will be hunted down please Japan we love you ! . Too late that year very few vacationed in china from Japan and most stayed home and spent money at home .
Even in NZ the leading electrical stores sell cheap knock offs of Apple gear I am sure they are copyrighted and patented but still they look so identical. Chinese manufactures will knock out copies quicker than apple can get the next design out.
I'm sure that Apple would be able to trace the serial numbers of these "confiscated" iPADs, and make them impossible to register. [racist comment removed]
Comments
A picture of what it is should be enough.
"I'll have one of those"
"One of these"
"Yes"
"Black, White, 16, 32, 64, wifi or 3G"
"I'll have a white 64 3G. please".
"That'll be lots of yuan"
What do you need a name for?
Apple could run an ad campaign with no mention of the name at all and people would still know what it is.
They could go to court and say "we want to sell these"
The court could say "What are they called"
Apple "Nothing, they don't have a name".
And really if this company wants to fight this dirty Apple should fight dirtier. Does the company hold any other trademarks or patents that Apple can sue over? If they make any products can Apple disrupt their supply chain behind the scenes? Can they bribe any Chinese officials to make their lives a living hell in other ways? Squeeze their nuts till they cry mercy, I say, don't let go. Lowlife IP squatters like this need to be made an example of so no one dares try it again.
And yes I'm assuming they were squatting on the trademark. Were they actually making a product called iPad or were they just trademarking every iThing in the hopes that one day Apple would sell it in China?
China expert Bill Bishop noted on DigiCha on Monday that, according to Chinese press, Proview is looking to cripple Apple's iPad sales by seeking an export ban from China Customs. Since most of Apple's iPads are manufactured in China, intervention from the country's customs agency could affect the global supply of iPads.
This will never happen. China is reliant on non Chinese companies having their product produced in China. It is a significant part of their income.
Regardless of who owns the name for iPad in China, I can not see the Chinese government stoping Apple having the iPad made in China and shipped to countries where they do own the name, especially with the new production facilities being built outside of China.
China ALREADY has the Western World by the F**** Balls BIG TIME, my friend. Any citizen of a G20 country should contact their congressperson (or equivalent) ASAP on this kind of BS.
Depending on the Middle East for oil? PFFT cakewalk compared to what China is going to have over the WORLD this CENTURY. Jobs, Economy, Resources, Cheap Labour, Cheap Manufacturing, Stealing, Lying... AND MORE. Just wait 'till they get nukes or any decent non-China-made modern military gear then we can kiss our way of life in the G20 world GOODBYE. China will probably be first to Mars anyway, and will have true space-fighter "jets" at the end of 2099.
Actually, if this ban is successfully implemented, it could be a windfall for Apple.
Not allowed to use the term 'iPad' in China?
Fine.
Don't sell them there then.
But do sell them to the scalpers just outside China at twice the price.
Sit back, and watch, as hilarity ensues.
and in one of the meetings with the Chinese leaders asking what can be done for Apple to come back and use Chinese Manufacturing facilities TIm cook will be saying..
THESE JOBS ARE NOT COMING BACK TO CHINA EVER.
China has a rather well documented habit of ignoring international laws and norms when it comes to a question of a Chinese company versus a foreign company. If this case had been filed in just about any other G20 country it would have been thrown out in about 12 seconds.
The entire premise is little more than a textbook definition of a shakedown ...
(Why do they need to open and ?inspect? the units? Is there some weird paperwork that they have to have seen the word ?iPad? on each one?)
This is an interesting situation for Apple. So they licensed for all use of iPad and Proview is lying or someone at Apple messed up when securing the rights to the name.
Are those Brazilian iPad factories up and running yet? Note their market cap is listed as $155 million.
I think Proview is crooked and they are trying to get paid twice for the name. They are also greedy. They are worth 155 million and they want 1.5 bil on a technicality for a name that they already sold for 55,000 ?
Don't give them shit. If China is short sighted enough to ignore international laws allowing their companies to double dip, Apple can change the name there and just call it iSlate or macPad in China.
Manufacturing should not be an issue. If the Chinese are stupid enough to make it an issue, they will be they will be shooting themselves in the head. Apple has strong pull in China and new factories in Brazil. Perhaps it's time to make a deal to move manufacturing back to the good old USA.
20 minutes later the Chinese government will be explaining to Proview why they might be better off just settling for a reasonable amount of money or dropping the case.
Foxcon has built so much up just for the manufacture of apple products that I agree with descramble's comment that the govt. would step in.
Look what happened about 10 years ago with the riots in china organized by the govt against Japanese companies who had invested in china , they destroyed supermarkets and businesses ( a japanese restaurant windows smashed and plundered- owned by a local chinese citizen just catering for the Japanese businessmen in china and were all taking pictures outside Japan embassy littered with stuff ( with Sony cybershot's might I add ) when the golden week vacationers started to cancel their holidays to Japan then the govt turned around and said all rioters will be hunted down please Japan we love you ! . Too late that year very few vacationed in china from Japan and most stayed home and spent money at home .
Even in NZ the leading electrical stores sell cheap knock offs of Apple gear I am sure they are copyrighted and patented but still they look so identical. Chinese manufactures will knock out copies quicker than apple can get the next design out.