I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that Apple and Chinese company Proview International were caught in a lawsuit that resulted in Apple losing the trademark to “iPad” in China. Proview had it since 2000 or so and eventually sold it through a subsidiary, but the Chinese authorities didn’t recognise that transaction, so basically Apple’s gear is outside the law right now.
The authorities have already started confiscating iPads from stores and the stocks are going down in all shops. 45 iPads were seized so far and now things are moving further, as Proview asked the Chinese government to block the import and export of the popular tablet, according to Bloomberg. The Cupertino giant keeps its official position and it’s saying that they purchased the name legally and they can use the trademark bought from Proview in 10 countries, China included.
The iPad is being manufactured by Chinese company Foxconn, that also has plants in Brazil. Imagine that an export ban from China would make tens of millions of iPad units stuck in the country and unable to reach the rest of the world. Sad, right?
