Chinese Authorities Confiscate iPads From Retailers for Trademark Infringement

Chinese authorities have reportedly begun confiscating iPads from local retailers following the a verdict that Apple infringed on the iPad trademark owned by Proview in the country, reports Digicha.

Apparently as a result of the Proview iPad trademark infringement verdict, some local Administrations of Industry and Commerce (AIC) have started to confiscate Apple ($AAPL) iPads they find on sale. The article claims that many stores and resellers have taken the products off their shelves to avoid discovery by authorities, but if you ask for an iPad you can still buy one. It is not clear if this is going to happen nationwide or if this is just the action of a handful of local authorities, but Apple has a lot of risk in this case.

Proview reportedly plans to ask for 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion USD) in compensation from Apple.


Apple filed an appeal on January 5th with the Higher People's Court of Guangdong Province, after losing its claim to the trademark in the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. Apple says that a Proview subsidiary in Taiwan sold the trademark rights to a UK company called "IP Applications" which then sold the mark to Apple in 2010.

Read More [via TNW]