As Apple and Proview fight it off in court, trying to prove that the iPad trademark really belongs to one or the other, the iPad ban is still in act and it could prove to be a prolific time for Apple rivals. Since the iPad is becoming a lesser threat in China, the likes of Lenovo and Samsung might try to take over the tablet market locally.
In case you didn’t know, Apple is fighting for the trademark on the name “iPad” with Chinese company Proview Technology, with the result being so far the removal of iPads from the shelves of retailers in over 10 Chinese cities. The iPad has a huge market share in China, with 76% of the segment being owned by Apple. Lenovo and Samsung are second and third respectively with 7% and 3%, according to IDC figures. Samsung could be the main winner, because of the similarity in price and functions with the iPad.
However not all is lost for Apple, that has the financial and legal tools to solve this issue with Proview once and for all. The problem here is that authorities in China are patriotic and if they feel that the Chinese company is threatened in any way, Apple will never win. China has 505 million Internet users and over 300 million microbloggers, so it’s a huge market to tap into. Let’s just see where the bans and lawsuits lead…
