Apple and Proview have apparently begun negotiating in hopes of reaching an agreement over the dispute as to which company controls the iPad trademark. Apple claimed it legitimately purchased the rights to the iPad name from Proview before launching its popular multimedia tablet, but Proview says it didn’t authorize any trademark deal.
Word that the two companies are negotiating came from Proview attorney Ma Dongxiao, according to Macworld.
Apple and Proview negotiating iPad trademark ahead of court ruling
The negotiations are part of the legal process in China ahead of a court ruling. The negotiation phase is voluntary, and in this case it seems both sides agreed to the talks.
Apple and Proview have been fighting in court for months over the iPad trademark. Proview has been attempting to block sales of the iPad in China, although it hasn’t been very successful.
Proview launched a legal fight against Apple in China in an effort to prove the iPad maker didn’t properly license the iPad name for use in the country. Apple, however, says it purchased the trademark from Proview legitimately from one of the company’s subsidiaries, and that Proview Technology was aware of the transaction.
Proview also filed a case in the U.S. claiming that by using an intermediary company, IP Application Development, to handle the trademark purchase, and by failing to disclose that the name was destined for the now popular multimedia tablet, Apple acted “”with oppression, fraud and/or malice.”
Apple fired back by accusing Proview of intentionally spreading false information about the trademark battle to journalists and the public. In a letter to the company’s chairman, Apple threatened legal action if the alleged disinformation flow didn’t stop.
Assuming the two sides don’t reach an agreement, the Chinese court will have to enter a ruling on the case. If the court rules in favor of Proview, Apple could face fines and possibly even see iPad sales blocked in the country.
Apple has not commented on the negotiations.