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NEWS > TECHNOLOGY > APPLE LOSES RIGHTS TO IPAD TRADEMARK PUTTING COMPANY ON EDGE
APPLE LOSES RIGHTS TO IPAD TRADEMARK PUTTING COMPANY ON EDGE
December 8 2011
Cupertino, CA - In perhaps the biggest blow to Apple since the death of Steve Jobs in October, the company has lost a hard fought battle with a Taiwanese company over the trademark on their hugely popular iPad product.
The battle, between the giant Apple and small company Proview Technology, dates back to 2000 when the company first registered the name IPAD, which of course many years later became the name for Apple’s product. Now a court in China has rejected Apple’s request to transfer the trademark to them, in both China and Taiwan, putting the future of the product in question in one of the world’s biggest market.
Thus far the trademark battle has remained isolated to those two nations, but many fear that the rulings could eventually extend to other nations, essentially ending the run of the iPad and possibly sinking Apple into severe financial difficulties that could eventually result in it being broken apart, with Apple officials largely helpless to do anything about it.
“Apple is such a Goliath and has a good image, so people wouldn’t imagine that Apple could possibly infringe on our intellectual property rights. People always think its small companies infringing upon large companies,” said a lawyer representing the company. 
Proview’s product, now defunct, was also a tablet computer. The company had also registered the trademark in a number of other countries including Mexico and the EU.
The company did sell the global trademark to Apple in 2006, but that deal did not apparently include China.
Apple secret police have been spotted near the main headquarters for Proview. The company has not commented on their presence.
“This could be a major blow to the company. The bigger issue is whether or not this could nullify the original agreement between the two and essentially cause Apple to lose the trademark entirely. By extension, they would likely have to turn over a portion of the profits already earned and that could seriously damage them financially,” said Scrape TV Business analyst Ken Green. “This is an unusual position 
for Apple and that could cause them to lash out, perhaps aggressively, against the company and cause serious problems. We are talking about a lot of money here after all.”
Proview made very little money off the trademark, so far anyway.
“I doubt we will see a scenario where Apple will go under. That just doesn’t seem like a likely outcome though you never know. I would imagine, however, that Proview will just go away. Apple doesn’t like losing, not anymore. They really don’t like losing. They really don’t like it,” continued Green. “They just don’t like it, not one bit and they really aren’t going to want to take it from a little company like this. No way sir, no way. Proview would be best to just give it up, for their health.”
Apple has begun drills off the coast of California, though they have said it is unrelated.
Martin Philton, Technology Correspondent
NEWS > TECHNOLOGY > APPLE LOSES RIGHTS TO IPAD TRADEMARK PUTTING COMPANY ON EDGE
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