APPLE'S dispute with a Chinese company over the iPad trademark was heard in a Shanghai court yesterday.

But there was no ruling after the four-hour hearing at the Pudong New Area People's Court where both sides were represented.

Proview Technology (Shenzhen) told the court that it owned the rights to use the iPad name on the Chinese mainland and produced a flat, thin computer, about the size of the front of a microwave oven, packed in a cardboard box. It told the court that this was its IPAD, letters standing for Internet Personal Access Device.

Proview said Apple was infringing its copyright and asked that Apple and other retailers be banned from selling iPads in Shanghai.

Apple's lawyers called Proview's actions "blackmail."

They demanded Proview provide evidence that its product was on the market in China. It said the Chinese company was heavily in debt and had no ability to produce the "so-called IPAD."

"They have no market, no sales, no customers. They have nothing," said Apple lawyer Qu Xiao.

Apple asked the court to halt the Shanghai hearing as its lawsuit against Proview in Shenzhen had not been concluded.

The Guangdong High Court is due to hear it appeal next Wednesday following Proview's victory at a lower court in Shenzhen.

After that ruling, local industry and commerce administrations seized iPads from retailers in Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei Province and Henan's provincial capital Zhengzhou. Proview said it had asked for similar action in about 30 other cities.

Top retailers, including the country's biggest electronics retailer Suning, Carrefour, and major online retailers Amazon.cn and 360Buy.com, had also halted sales of iPads.

Apple China, which declined to comment on ongoing cases, is continuing to sell iPads in its retail and online stores.

Proview asked the court for 10,000 yuan (US$1,590) from Apple for Proview's legal expenses but made no mention of compensation.

"Apple is good at hanging up time through lawsuits. That's the reason why we asked the court and authorities to halt iPad sales immediately," said Provies lawyer Ma Dongxiao.

Apple's iPad, a popular tablet computer, has been sold in China for several years.

Should it lose the case, industry insiders said, Apple would be expected to pay Proview billions of yuan to gain rights to the trademark on the Chinese mainland.
 

Source:shanghaidaily