The trademark battle in China over the iPad name scored one for the home team overnight, with a Shanghai court ruling in favor of Apple continuing to sell its tablet in that city -- but there’s still a way to go before Cupertino can declare victory over Proview.
Reuters is reporting on a Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court ruling following a hearing on Wednesday. Shenzhen-based Proview Technology continues to claim Apple is infringing on its trademark to the iPad name in China, but the court ruled in Cupertino’s favor, which means the tablet can continue to be sold there.
However, the victory is a bit hollow for Apple, having suffered several defeats on the same matter elsewhere in mainland China, which has resulted in some iPads being confiscated from store shelves. Had Proview succeeded in Shanghai, the court ruling would have meant the same action in three Apple retail stores in the city.
The larger issue of Proview’s trademark on the iPad name is still in question. Apple claims it purchased those rights as part of a deal with an affiliate company in 2009, but Proview is arguing that transaction was not authorized in the first place. All eyes are now on a February 29 hearing in a Guangdong higher court, where Apple’s appeal on a December decision will be heard.
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