Apple back at the table, says lawyer for Proview
By Zhu Shenshen |
May 9, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
APPLE Inc may be able to buy the right to use the iPad trademark on the Chinese mainland for a "reasonable" price - much less than the US$400 million or even US$3 billion mentioned in online speculation.
According to a lawyer for Shenzhen-based Proview, which claims to own the name, Apple is back at the table trying to work out a settlement in a dispute which has been dragging on for several months.
Ma Dongxiao told Shanghai Daily: "After the court's attempt (to mediate), Apple is going back to the negotiation table. I am not allowed to talk in detail about Proview's wanted settlement price but it's lower than the figures like US$400 million."
Before that, Apple was "too arrogant to negotiate" with Proview, Ma said.
Apple China declined to comment yesterday.
At the beginning of the year, Shenzhen-based Proview sued Apple and asked domestic retailers to stop selling iPads.
Last month, the Chinese government said it regarded Shenzhen Proview as the rightful owner of the iPad trademark, according to Fu Shuangjian, deputy chief of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.
After that, the Higher People's Court of Guangdong Province was reported to be seeking to arrange a settlement.
The case is being watched around the world because Apple's revenue has grown rapidly in China thanks to the iPad and the iPhone. The trademark dispute was expected to overshadow the debut of the new iPad on the mainland.
In the first quarter, Apple's revenue in China grew fourfold to hit US$7.9 billion, making it Apple's No. 2 regional market.
Apple launched its latest iPad in the United States in March and later in Hong Kong. A time for its mainland debut has yet to be announced.
Apple says it bought the rights to the iPad name from Proview Taiwan in 2009 for US$56,500, but Proview claims its Shenzhen affiliate was the only company that had the legal right to sell its name for use on the mainland.
For Proview, a company said to be heavily in debt, the case is probably its last hope of paying its creditors, which include several state-owned banks.
Li Su, president of Hejun, a consulting service which represents the banks, had said the settlement price should be at least US$3 billion.
According to a lawyer for Shenzhen-based Proview, which claims to own the name, Apple is back at the table trying to work out a settlement in a dispute which has been dragging on for several months.
Ma Dongxiao told Shanghai Daily: "After the court's attempt (to mediate), Apple is going back to the negotiation table. I am not allowed to talk in detail about Proview's wanted settlement price but it's lower than the figures like US$400 million."
Before that, Apple was "too arrogant to negotiate" with Proview, Ma said.
Apple China declined to comment yesterday.
At the beginning of the year, Shenzhen-based Proview sued Apple and asked domestic retailers to stop selling iPads.
Last month, the Chinese government said it regarded Shenzhen Proview as the rightful owner of the iPad trademark, according to Fu Shuangjian, deputy chief of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.
After that, the Higher People's Court of Guangdong Province was reported to be seeking to arrange a settlement.
The case is being watched around the world because Apple's revenue has grown rapidly in China thanks to the iPad and the iPhone. The trademark dispute was expected to overshadow the debut of the new iPad on the mainland.
In the first quarter, Apple's revenue in China grew fourfold to hit US$7.9 billion, making it Apple's No. 2 regional market.
Apple launched its latest iPad in the United States in March and later in Hong Kong. A time for its mainland debut has yet to be announced.
Apple says it bought the rights to the iPad name from Proview Taiwan in 2009 for US$56,500, but Proview claims its Shenzhen affiliate was the only company that had the legal right to sell its name for use on the mainland.
For Proview, a company said to be heavily in debt, the case is probably its last hope of paying its creditors, which include several state-owned banks.
Li Su, president of Hejun, a consulting service which represents the banks, had said the settlement price should be at least US$3 billion.
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