iPad Trademark Ruling Held for Mediation
It's been three months since the release of the iPad and it's still not available "officially" in China. The reason is an ongoing dispute over the trademark of iPad. Today, the dispute is headed back to mediation with no end in site for the litigation.
The Higher People's Court of Guangzhou heard the appeal by Apple Inc, the maker of the iPad, on February 29, 2012. A lower court ruled in favor of a Chinese tech company, Proview Technology, which claims ownership of the trademark in China. Usually within three months, an appeals case is resolved in China.
Currently, Apple has reported offered compensation. However, Proview wants more, according to their lawyer, Roger Xie. Previously, Proview allegedly wants approximately $1.5 billion. While waiting for a settlement, Proview has filed bankruptcy in China.
In April, Apple reportedly earned last quarter nearly $8 billion in revenue in China alone. That's almost 20% of Apple's total revenue.
On May 9th, 2012, Apple announced the fifth group of markets to launch the new iPad. The iPad is now available in ninety countries. However, the launch date in China is still yet unknown.
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