Apple vs Proview 苹果诉唯冠案

APPLEV.S.PROVIEWAboutProview(weiguan)Foundedin1989,usedtobeworldforthlargestdigitalflat-panelproducer.ManufacturesCRTandLCDmonitors,LCDTVs,PlasmaTVsandDVDplayersLaterranintoheavydebt.EightdifferentbankshavealreadytakenovertotalassetofWeiGuan.COURTMATERIALWeiGuanregisteredthe“iPad”trademarkworldwidein2000andoneyearlater,itsShenzhensubsidiarysignedup“iPad”inMainlandChina.ApplepurchasedthetrademarkfromtheTaipeiheadquarterin2009beforebringingoutiPadtablets,butSteveJobsignoredthefactthatthemainlandbrandstillbelongedtoShenzhenWeiGuan.Apple’sdefenseApplehasboughtthetrademark“iPad”fromWeiGuanInternationalindozencountriesintheworld.Unfortunately,WeiGuanInternationalrefusestoimplementtheprotocolinMainlandChina.Pointis,whyapple,despitethisfact,stillbringitsnewtabletwiththenameof“iPad”toMainlandChinain2009?WeiGuan’sdisproofApplejustmadeadealwithWeiGuanInternationalinTaiwan.BothWeiGuanInternationalinShenzhenandWeiGuanInternationalinTaiwanareHongKongWeiGuanInternational’stwosubsidiarycompanies.ShenzhenWeiGuanInternationalistheownerofthetrademarkiPadinMainlandChina.WeiGuan’sdemandsIndustrialandcommercialbureausinMainlandChinatostopsellingiPad.SourcessayBeijingCommercialBureauhavealreadyimposedasky-highfine,asmuchas240millionyuan,toApple,althoughthishasnotbeenofficiallyproved.AccordingtoChinesebusinesslaw,thepenaltyamountofinfringementmayreachthreetimesthatofthe“illegalsales”.MYCOMMENTSOne’swordsagainsttheother’sApple:arrogant,ignoring,andtakingchancesWeiGuan:Chineseownbrandwithhistory,shouldbeprotected,theforeigncompaniestaughtustoplaythistrademarkgame.MYCOMMENTSMaybeWeiGuandohaveitsfinancialpurposetosueApple,andfrommyownfeelings,Ithinkitismeanandhavenothinggloriousaboutit.ButWeiGuancompanydohavetherighttosuetoappleformoneyandappleshouldnotbethatarrogantandshouldpaymoreattentiontotheChinesemarket.Afterall,it’stooexpensiveforAppletoleaveChina.