Tag Archives: Apple

Apple Finally Gets its iPad Trademark in China

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According to China Trademark Office’s latest ” Announcement of Trademarks “, the iPad trademark, which used to owned by Shenzhen Proview were formally transferred to Apple on July 27, 2012. And by Chinese Trademark Law, Apple could exercise the exclusive right over the trademark from the day.

As we reported last week :

Grandall Law Firm, GH Law Firm, Hejun Vanguard Group and other units providing legal or agency service to Proview applied to Shenzhen Yantian People’s Court in written for freezing of iPad trademark in China on 23 July,2012, also they have submitted the guarantee of RMB 300 million.

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Proview’s Lawyer Applied for Freezing iPad Trademark Transfer

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By You Yunting

We have reported that the iPad trademark battle in China has come to its end, with Apple paid the reconciliation fee of $ 60 million to Shenzhen Proview. But the story seems to not end there, Grandall Law Firm, the attorney of Shenzhen Proview filed a lawsuit to local people’s court on 23rd July demanding the lawyer’s fee of $ 2.4 million.

And as said by the latest news of the case, Grandall Law Firm, GH Law Firm, Hejun Vanguard Group and other units providing legal or agency service to Proview applied to Shenzhen Yantian People’s Court in written for the freezing of iPad trademark in China, also they have submitted the guarantee of RMB 300 million.

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Can Sound or Smell be registered as Trademarks in China?

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—the introduction to the registerable trademarks in China

By You Yunting

As a news report (note: the link is in Chinese), Apple applied the trademark protection for the start up sound of its Mac in USA and Europe. The protection of sound trademark is on the front of the theory research, and in many situations, the sound is protected through copyright law. So far, to register the sound as mark in China is of no legal ground. Meanwhile, in the latest revision of the Chinese Trademark Law, we notice the suggestions to add sound as legal sort of trademark, which was objected by some experts. According to the schedule of the legislation in China, the latest Trademark Law could be issued in this October as soonest, and then we could find the answer to proposal. Today, we will introduce you the sorts of trademarks to be applied in China.

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Proview Was Charged by Its Lawyer for Fee Payment Failure

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By You Yunting

According to a news report (note: the link is in Chinese), the iPad battle in China has ended in reconciliation with Apple’s payment of 60 million dollars to Proview by the agreement. However it seems that Proview will soon be trapped in another dispute afterwards and related to the battle, its agents of Grandall Law Firm (the “Grandall”) filed a lawsuit to the local court on the 23rd of July, demanding the professional fee of 2.4 million dollars.

As introduced by the attorneys from Grandall, their entrustment by Shenzhen Proview was on a contingent fee, by which it could gain 4% of the total conciliation expenses or the compensation (namely 2.4 million dollars by the final settlement agreement). Also all the litigation fee or expenditures paid for custom record in the trademark battle was firstly paid by Grandall. However, after the end of the dispute, Proview refused to cash the fees into Grandall’s account as agreed and has even collected the money paid by Apple at the end of June.

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Is It Worth for Apple to Pay $60M for iPad Trademark?

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According to the media report, the Guangdong People’s High Court announced on the 2nd of July that Apple has concluded a mediation agreement with Proview in the iPad battle, which will be finally settled with the trademark transferred to Apple on its payment of $ 60 million. After the news, the settlement amount of $ 60 million offered by Apple has soon been the focus of the public, and in this essay, we would like to discuss has Apple gained a bargain in the settlement?

For Apple, the payment may be less than its value for the following reasons:

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Apple Pays 60 million US Dollars for iPad Trademark in China

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By You Yunting

On the morning of the 2nd of July, the Guangdong People’s High Court announced both Apple and Proview prefer toend the case through mediation in the iPad battle, and both parties have confirmed the final settlement with $ 60 million paid by Apple for the trademark’s ownership in mainland China and thereby signed the agreement of mediation.

By the agreement, Apple shall remit $ 60 million yuan to the appointed account by the court, and meanwhile, on the 28th of June Apple has applied for the enforcement of the above agreement to the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court, where the 1st instance of the trial is heard. After the application, the Shenzhen Court sent the State Administration of Commerce and Industry the judicial decision and the notice of enforcement assistance today, by which the iPad trademark shall registered under the name Apple.

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The Latest Progress of iPad Lawsuits

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The two lawsuits concerning the iPad trademarks have both gained the new progress in this month (2012.6)

For the trial between Apple and Proview, as introduced by the spokesman of the Guangdong People’s High Court’s Foreign Affair Office, the case will not be judged in recent for the companies are in the negotiation for the renegotiation with the presiding of the court. By the Civil Procedure Law

“In trying an appealed case against a judgment, the people s court shall make a final judgment within three months after the case was filed as one of second instance. Any extension of the term necessitated by special circumstances shall be subject to the approval of the president of the said court.”

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App Store Fraud Applications: Apple Shall Investigate Dereliction of Duty of Its Staffs

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By You Yunting

The App Store of Apple is kind of online store to sell applications to mobile terminal users; however, since last year, we have seen the store has been puzzled by the criticism of fraudulence apps in China, which is lasting to now. In my opinion, there’re obviously overall flaws of the examination system of App Store, which shall make Apple be liable to the fraudulence in the store, and therefore a making-up of the flaws and the investigation over the claimed dereliction of duty or the bribery by its staffs is urgently demanded. The following is my analysis:

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The iPad Battle Comes into Price Negotiation Phase, Apple Offered Proview $16 Million But Refused (Updated)

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by You Yunting

According to the report of China media(note: the link is in Chinese), the iPad battle in mainland China has seen a lifting turn. The parties, Proview and Apple, have come into the phase of reconciliation and price negotiation from the previous heat argument on the court, and the main difference between the parties is the gap on the compensation. But no matter the result is, the decision of Guangdong Higher People’s Court will be delayed for both parties’ willing to the reconciliation. By the report of Jinghua News (note: the link is in Chinese), Apple’s offer of 100 million yuan (1.6 million US dollar) to purchase the iPad trademark has been refused by Proview.

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iPad Trademark Battle: Court Seeks Conciliation while New Hearing Not Excluded

According to the report, the judge of Guangdong Higher People’s Court stated on 17th April that the court will make a comprehensive consideration on the newly filed iPad trademark dispute between Apple and Proview for the social and legal benefit, and make a reasonable arrangement on the issue. Guangdong Higher People’s Court is seeking the conciliation between the parties under their voluntariness.

Mr. Xu Chunjian, the deputy chief judge of Guangdong Higher People’s Curt, says the iPad trademark battle will produce a deep influence on the market share in China of iPad as well as the development of the product’s commercial model. Therefore, it demands the maximum realization of the parties’ interests with the fair and strict application of the law by the court. Meanwhile, the presiding judge of the third civil hearing court of Guangdong People’s Higher Court Mr. Qiu Qingyong also stated that a new hearing may be arranged when new facts appear to be investigated after the examination on the current evidences.

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Latest News: Proview Plans to Apply for iPad Import Prohibition in Custom

As reported by Sina tech (the link is in Chinese), Attorney Ma Xiaodong, the legal representative of Proview, stated on 13th February that Proview is preparing the documents for the complaint to the custom house for the import prohibition of Apple’s iPad.

To Ma’s introduction, the Industry & Commerce Administration of Shandong, Hebei, Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong (all are the provinces of China) has engaged in the trademark dispute, with most documents for the government’s investigation are provided by Proview. He also disclosed that the temporary administrative measures taken by the local organs vary among the provinces, among which the administration of Shijiazhuang, Hubei province detained the device, while in most other regions, iPad is only demanded for stop sale.

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When Could Come the Decision of the 2nd Instance on the iPad Trademark Dispute？

As interviewed by China media Shanghai Business, when could come the decision of the 2nd instance on the iPad dispute, which hearing will be held on 29th February, 2012, Mr. You Yunting replied as follows:

For the court is less likely to make the decision on the coming hearing on the case, we estimate no such decision could be made till the expiration of the lawsuit time limit. By PRC Civil Litigation Law, the hearing on the appealed case shall be decided within 3 months from the filing day of the 2nd instance. For any prolonged on the procedure, it shall be approved by the chief judge of the court. Therefore, we estimate the case could be decided 2 months after the hearing for it could be filed 1 month before the proceeding, and the specific date of the decision may be the end of April.

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The Choice for Apple in China: Patent Lawsuit or Lower Price

According to the news of Forbes.com, for the fast developing and immensely potential mobile phone market in China, Apple has adjusted its phone strategy focusing on the increasing of the market penetration, which however facing the competition from the local manufacturer in China. For such challenges, Apple seems to be tending to file the patent lawsuit for more market share in the country.

In fact, Apple is actively suing its competitor globe-wide. Previously, Apple has filed patent lawsuit against SAMSUNG and HTC in U.S.A., Australia and Europe for its market share is eaten up by android phones, while for the robust iPhone market in England, no same or similar litigation has been initiated by Apple.

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China Mobile Devices Alliance against Patent Lawsuit from International Giant

Bridge IP Law Commentary once posted the essay on the patent battle between HTC and Apple, with our advices and opinions attached. And the event also caught the attention of local mobile manufacturers in China. According to Nandu Daily’s latest news, to counter the possible challenge of patent lawsuit in China, ZTE, TCL, Konka and other main phone companies have formed an alliance.

China made phones are known for its high price performance and cool looking, and the android devices occupy most of the products. And just like other phone companies, China manufacturers also face the attack from Microsoft and Apple. The alliance has already participated in the lawsuit filed by Nokia against the alliance members.

What has to be acknowledged is that the total patent owned by the alliance could still not rival with those of the international giants’. While, on the other hand, the incomplete of the domestic legislature may be the safe harbor of the local companies, and the international companies have not finished their layout in China. Furthermore, the rapid technology update could also be the chance to tip the balance.

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