Apple sued over 'Snow Leopard' moniker in China for $80K
Coming on the heels of Proview's successful $60 million settlement with Apple, a new suit is being brought against the iPad maker from a China-based chemical company that owns the rights to the Chinese language translation of "Snow Leopard."
According to a report from M.I.C. Gadget (via The Next Web), Jiangsu Xuebao (Jiangsu Snow Leopard Daily Chemical Co.), a Chinese maker of household chemicals like detergents and toothpaste, registered for the "Xuebao (雪豹)" trademark in 2000, some nine years before Apple released the seventh major version of its OS X operating system under the name "Snow Leopard." Coincidentally Proview, the company involved in a drawn-out suit against Apple which was ultimately settled on Monday for $60 million, was granted the rights to "IPAD" in the same year.
The company is suing Apple for 500,000 RMB, about $80,645, and an apology though the case is unlikely to bear fruit since the Mac maker never used "Xuebao" or the Chinese characters to sell the software in China. Jiangsu Xuebao is also filing suit against four other companies that advertise and sell OS X Snow Leopard.
Jiangsu Xuebao used the trademark to market a touchscreen ad display and a mobile EPR software suite. According to the company's CEO, a 2008 Apple attempt to register the "Xuebao" name was denied by the Chinese trademark office. He goes on to say that the rejection was due to Jiansu Xuebao's existing filing and extrapolates the decision as proof of violation.
Chinese trademark filing for "Xuebao (雪豹)" or Snow Leopard. | Source: M.I.C. Gadget
Interestingly, Jiangsu Xuebao's website states that the company was established in 2002, two years after it filed for the "Xuebao" name.
A Shanghai court has agreed to hear the case which is scheduled to start on July 10.
According to a report from M.I.C. Gadget (via The Next Web), Jiangsu Xuebao (Jiangsu Snow Leopard Daily Chemical Co.), a Chinese maker of household chemicals like detergents and toothpaste, registered for the "Xuebao (雪豹)" trademark in 2000, some nine years before Apple released the seventh major version of its OS X operating system under the name "Snow Leopard." Coincidentally Proview, the company involved in a drawn-out suit against Apple which was ultimately settled on Monday for $60 million, was granted the rights to "IPAD" in the same year.
The company is suing Apple for 500,000 RMB, about $80,645, and an apology though the case is unlikely to bear fruit since the Mac maker never used "Xuebao" or the Chinese characters to sell the software in China. Jiangsu Xuebao is also filing suit against four other companies that advertise and sell OS X Snow Leopard.
Jiangsu Xuebao used the trademark to market a touchscreen ad display and a mobile EPR software suite. According to the company's CEO, a 2008 Apple attempt to register the "Xuebao" name was denied by the Chinese trademark office. He goes on to say that the rejection was due to Jiansu Xuebao's existing filing and extrapolates the decision as proof of violation.
Chinese trademark filing for "Xuebao (雪豹)" or Snow Leopard. | Source: M.I.C. Gadget
Interestingly, Jiangsu Xuebao's website states that the company was established in 2002, two years after it filed for the "Xuebao" name.
A Shanghai court has agreed to hear the case which is scheduled to start on July 10.
Comments
Stupid Chinese and their corrupted communist government. Never deal with the communist.
We, non-communist Vietnamese, always say, "Never believe what a communist says; carefully observe a communist's action.
Apparently, they listen to us because their observe their own corrupted actions. When Apple gave in, they pile on another stupid frivolous lawsuit. This is why I despise communism and would never ever do business with such a corrupted entity.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by macinthe408
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and a whole lotta milk it is. Not enough for much else tho
Stupid Chinese and their corrupted communist government. Never deal with the communist.
We, non-communist Vietnamese, always say, "Never believe what a communist says; carefully observe a communist's action.
Apparently, they listen to us because their observe their own corrupted actions. When Apple gave in, they pile on another stupid frivolous lawsuit. This is why I despise communism and would never ever do business with such a corrupted entity.
While I agree that the lawsuit is disgustingly frivolous, the Chinese are *far* from communist. They are a capitalist oligarchy.Quote:
Originally Posted by zeromeus
Stupid Chinese and their corrupted communist government. Never deal with the communist.
We, non-communist Vietnamese, always say, "Never believe what a communist says; carefully observe a communist's action.
Apparently, they listen to us because their observe their own corrupted actions. When Apple gave in, they pile on another stupid frivolous lawsuit. This is why I despise communism and would never ever do business with such a corrupted entity.
Uh . . . your country *is* Communist, even if loosely. The North Vietnamese overran Saigon and threw out the invaders.
Your government is a one-party entity (central) and your economy is market (capitalist) controlled. This is almost exactly the same as China.
Of course, *you* personally might not consider yourself this sort of Vietnamese (especially if you're living in the West.) Is that what you meant?
This was the danger in capitulating to the iPad swindle.
Personally, I would absolutely buy Mac OSX Xuebao.
Good luck. I don't see that they have much of a case.
But it is always very difficult to know if all the relevant facts are set forth accurately in AI stories.
Many in the west have been pushing China to liberalize their economy, so that they better match ours. Surely this is just part of the process.....
Don't innovate when you can just sue the shit out of everyone!
here they come
Do they even have a case? I don't see the English words "Snow Leopard" anywhere on the filing.
No, no. I'm waiting for trolls to post about how Apple is in the wrong on this one. How Apple is evil for trying to steal the name "Snow Leopard" in China without paying up for it. C'mon, you know they'll find a way to spin it into "Apple is wrong." Just give it some time...
Apple needs to pay up for using other people's trademarks. The Androids are selling like crazy in China. Any delay will allow Samsung Galaxy and Tablets to surpass iPhone and iPad in sales.
No, seriously, how much money do they want. That's probably a day's take at a New York Apple Store.
And sarcasm needs to be indicated as such.
And in more news:
Apple, who recently successfully purchased the rights to the term 'The New iPad' in every language on Earth, begins litigation against every single company on the face of the planet that has used the words 'iPad', 'New', and 'The'.
Lawyers around the world rejoice, with many of them retiring before even completing their law degrees!
iThug
I accidentally™ ordered a copy of Snow Leopard™ from Apple Inc.™ when I really meant to order 18 palettes™ of Mr. Sparkle™ detergent from Jiangsu Snow Leopard Daily Chemical Co.™
The company™ names are so similar, I™ can see how anybody™ could get confused™. I will have to double and triple check™ my order next time™.
I kept trying to clean the dishes with a DVD but it only lasted a few times then the labeling wore off and I had no idea which disc was which) © 2012 Me
Next lawsuit: A Chinese bread company sued Google over 'gingerbread', 'ice cream sandwich', 'jelly bean' for $120 million US dollars. lol.