Posted on 02/14/2012 8:14:48 AM PST by Astronaut
Earlier this week, we noted that Chinese authorities had begun seizing iPad stocks from a small number of retailers over Apple's alleged infringement of a disputed "iPad" trademark. Apple claims that it purchased the Chinese rights to the trademark several years ago, but the original owner Proview and Chinese courts have disagreed with that assertion.
Bloomberg now notes that Proview is seeking to go beyond local enforcement and is asking Chinese customs officials to block both imports and exports of the iPad over the issue. With iPad production taking place in China, a successful bid by Proview could cut off Apple's supplies of the device throughout the world. “We are applying to customs to stop any trademark- infringing products from imports to China and also for exports,” said [Proview lawyer Roger] Xie, who is based in Shenzhen. “Apple wants to postpone and continue infringement of the iPad in China.” Calling a potential export ban "catastrophic" for Apple, one Chinese legal expert notes that pressure on Apple to settle the case has dramatically increased. A halt to exports from China would be “catastrophic” for Apple because it would mean a global halt to iPad sales, said Stan Abrams, an intellectual property lawyer and a law professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing. The threat of an export ban increases the pressure on Apple to settle the case, he said.
“There’s got to be a settlement, and fairly soon,” Abrams said. “I can’t see how much more incentivized to settle Apple could be.” Apple continues to maintain that it acquired "worldwide" rights to the iPad in ten countries, including China, as part of an earlier deal. Apple's case is still pending with Chinese courts as it seeks to appeal earlier rulings.
Hardball!
After the bribes are paid,the slave labor factories will
back in business.
The worm has turned............
Apple is widely rumored to announce the new iPad 3 the first week in March. They usually start online pre-sales shortly thereafter.
Move production back to a Southern State... Texas would be a great place.
LLS
Move production back to a Southern State... Texas would be a great place.
LLS
ping
Ain’t outsourcing grand?
This should serve as a warning sign to Treasury Secretary Geithner for what will happen to our trillion dollar deficit if the Chinese decide to cut off our whole country.
Hahahahaha...
You might have been serious but that is funny. The Chinese economy would collapse, we would have to start making stuff here again, unemployeement would go down, and if China starting getting froggy we could just nationalize all of our debts towards them. You really think China is holding anything over our heads?
Do I think China would cut us off entirely? No. But I have no doubt that China would be more than willing to give the world currency markets a good thump to get their way on import quotas, tariffs, intellectual property rulings, interest rates or just making sure the Seventh Fleet is looking the other way when it comes time to invade Taiwan.
My gut feeling is that Apple ends up settling this "trademark dispute" for a very significant chunk of their cash on hand. If Apple is as smart as I think they are, they start looking to build factories elsewhere.
Apple makes the A5 cpu for the iPad in Austin, Texas. I saw the plant last week. Austin would be a great place to expand the number of iPad components made in the USA.
Dont give Al Sharpton any ideas.
I agree.
LLS
The “Chinese Tariff”....
Ask Whitney Houston what crack does.... Now look at those numbed out idiots whose iPad is their crack. Just nuke all that stuff and take us back to an America of full employment, no trade deficits and humming factories. Go back 25-30 years and nuke all these masturbatory electronic devices as a trade. I would go for it in a split second
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