Proview Seeks iPad Export Ban In China, Could Choke Off Worldwide Supply
Proview Seeks iPad Export Ban In China, Could Choke Off Worldwide Supply
Posted 02/14/2012 at 11:06am
| by Brad Chacos
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Apple's been harassing Samsung (and others) around the globe, using legislation and intellectual property nuances to suffocate competitive sales and yank Galaxy Tabs off store shelves. Now it's Apple's turn. After a Chinese court ruled that Apple has no right to use the "iPad" name in mainland China because a company called Proview Technology (Shenzhen) holds the trademark, Proview announced they were suing Apple for $1.6 billion in damages. Now, Proview wants a complete iPad import/export ban -- and since all iPads are manufactured in China, an export ban could choke off worldwide supply for the mega-popular tablet.
Yesterday, the Verge reported that government officials began confiscating iPads from stores in Shijiazhuang, the capital of the Heibei province. Today, Proview told the Associated Press that it is seeking similar actions in 30 additional cities, as well as the aforementioned ban on exports and imports.
"We are now working on a request to China Customs to ban and seize all the import and export of the iPad products that have violated the trademark," said Xie Xianghui, a lawyer for the company.
Funnily enough, the MPAA/RIAA's plight against overseas pirates is helping Proview try to strangle to iPad sales. The laws that allow Proview to ask for the iPad ban were originally enacted to stop Chinese counterfeiters from shipping trademark-infringing items to other countries. Of course, since Apple is sitting on $97.6 billion in cold, hard cash, we're guessing the company would just peel off a few bills for Proview before it let the supply of iPads grind to a halt.
Still, we have to ask: now that you've had a taste, does your litigious medicine taste bitter, Apple?
(For more information about the complicated trademark battle between Apple and Proview, read our coverage of the Chinese judge's ruling back in December.)
Image credit: myessentia.com
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Vlad from Kharkov
February 22, 2012 at 9:13am
This tip will be for you if travelling to a Dniper region- appartments in Kiev
Drew7
February 15, 2012 at 12:29pm
I've been reading the articles in MaximumPC as of late, and APPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED. Look at you all NOW; As soon as Steve Jobs dies, it's like the "Hounds Of Hell" have been let loose! SUING COMPANIES LEFT AND RIGHT, TRYING TO STOP OTHERS FROM CREATING INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS WITH PETTY INFRINGEMENT SUITS, AND NOW... YOU GUYS ARE GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE AS CHINA IS TRYING TO KILL THE iPAD. Well.... G-O-O-D. YOU DESERVE IT. Steve Jobs died leaving behind an AWESOME COMPANY. And now whatever JACK-A** is running the place is DESTROYING AN EMPIRE A GREAT MAN BUILT. You guys are not only F*CKED, but your F*CKING YOURSELVES. Wouldn't be surprised if you SUED ME NEXT. A**holes. ~D.
Drew7
February 15, 2012 at 12:13pm
GOOD!!! Apple F*CKING SUCKS since Jobs has died; Suing companies left and right. It's like as soon as the ol' man died, the hounds were let loose. And I'm sure Jobs would be DISGUSTED. Currently... Apple is getting what it deserves.~Drew
h e x e n
February 15, 2012 at 5:37am
Apple makes me laugh, no matter which side of the joke they're on. They're a real life sitcom played out in the big business sector.
GoldenMonkey
February 15, 2012 at 3:11am
Good! Karma for Apple trying to sue the pants off everyone else and at the same time stop the production of iPads being manufactured in horrible conditions (not saying that Apple's the only one but Apple's big enough to actually do something about it).
aarcane
February 14, 2012 at 2:38pm
Would it be "right" for proview to be able to essentially cut off iPad sales? Absolutely not. However, would I like to see it happen? Contrary to everything I stand for, the answer is an emphatic yes!
vrmlbasic
February 14, 2012 at 1:49pm
What does China hope to gain from angering Apple, a huge customer of theirs? As JohnP said, Apple won't be too hard pressed to assemble the iPad anywhere else in the world, even (gasp!) America.
China isn't even trying to use the potential export ban to coerce Apple to do their bidding.
Besides cutting Apple out of its own business and allowing China to sell the iPads themselves, which I don't think would work out very well at all, what possibly does China hope to gain from this? Samsung is mentioned in the article, but I doubt that China wants to avenge the "wrongs" done to its Korean "friends". Know what I mean?
SYL808
February 14, 2012 at 3:25pm
What would China gain? Probably a few dozen lives that worked under sun-humane Apple affiliates.
vrmlbasic
February 14, 2012 at 10:15pm
China is vastly overpopulated, so I doubt that its government, despite being the "Peoples' Republic", would piss off one of the world's largest and most iconic tech companies for a few lives.
baGoGoodies111
February 14, 2012 at 9:03pm
I doubt that JUST Apple uses factories that has such poor working conditions that workers would rather kill themselves. I've got money on Sony with PS3's, and Microsoft with its Xbox 360's at the least.
Though small defense aside, EAT GETTING SUE'D AND LOSE MONEY APPLE.
Red Ensign
February 14, 2012 at 2:36pm
China has nothing to fear from Apple. In fact, the US should be the ones fearing China. We've sat on our butts too long and it may well be too late.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China
vrmlbasic
February 14, 2012 at 10:19pm
From the wiki link on China's economy:
"China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods in the world. "If China angers Apple enough that it pulls out of China, and other companies see "the writing on the wall" and pull out as well, China's exports should drop tremendously. Skimming the article, it seems that China only exports 3 things: Cheap steel, natural resources, and items that companies in other countries contracted them to build for them.
Take out that 3rd one, and we send China back to the 3rd world.
JohnP
February 14, 2012 at 12:54pm
Talk about kicking over a hornet's nest. The last thing China needs is for other countries to feel that at any moment their manufacturing or merchandising there can fail miserably. The only thing worse would be to nationalize the industries.
All Apple needs to do is insource the assembly back in the US using automation.
Remember, China does NOT MANUFACTURE most of the stuff that goes into an Apple product, it only ASSEMBLES THE PIECES. The LCDs come from Korea, the boards from Taiwan, the batteries from Japan, etc. With the right equipment, assembly could go anywhere in the world.
dgrmouse
February 15, 2012 at 2:26am
"Remember, China does NOT MANUFACTURE most of the stuff that goes into an Apple product, it only ASSEMBLES THE PIECES. The LCDs come from Korea, the boards from Taiwan, the batteries from Japan, etc. With the right equipment, assembly could go anywhere in the world."
Dude, what are you smoking? Taiwan is not a sovereign nation - it /belongs/ to China. Furthermore, according to BusinessWeek (http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/05/taiwanindustry/index_01.htm) /most/ of the consumer electronics that are produced by Taiwan's companies are in fact manufactured in mainland China.
DFSolley
February 15, 2012 at 10:58am
Taiwan is a sovereign nation that is claimed by China. After the revolution, China didn't have the resources to invade, so the island kept its original government. Over time, China's power diplomacy has shifted other nations views so that most view Taiwan as part of China, but until China actually rules this island of 23 million people, it is sovereign.
SYL808
February 14, 2012 at 3:32pm
Protecting intellectual property... Isn't that what the U.S. want from us? Or is it only to protect U.S. based companies IP?
But, please do move those toxic waste producing factories elsewhere. We'd be better off without them.
Hornet's nest? Don't worry, friend. We took on Google and did pretty well; We'll be ok with Apple!
vrmlbasic
February 14, 2012 at 1:42pm
I'm all for American robotics. Gives us IT/EE guys jobs ;)
Also, almost anything that screws China and promotes the US is good in my book.
acidic
February 14, 2012 at 12:39pm
im not a religious man but i pray to god (the real one and not apple's false prophet lord jobs) that this goes through and no more ipads ever (anything with a shape and buttons and a minimalistic interface in apple's case)
SYL808
February 14, 2012 at 3:35pm
Doing business with a communist country is just as dirty as it is with a "free" country. Money plays no side!
DoctorX
February 14, 2012 at 12:22pm
There is a god! I have another: Careful on whose toes you step on, it may be connected to the ass you have to kiss later.
Kinetic
February 14, 2012 at 1:53pm
"Careful on whose toes you step on, it may be connected to the ass you have to kiss later."
This pretty much sums it up. I'm royally sick of hearing about what five or six new lawsuits Apple is filing everyday while they ball their eyes out about how unfair companies like Samsung treat them. Ban or not, I just really hope they get what's coming to them.
vrmlbasic
February 14, 2012 at 2:04pm
Is having its massive product assembly line setup and swaths of its total inventory of iPads taken over by Red China honestly commensurate punishment for a few lawsuits?
I don't love Apple, but I care more for them than for China. First the Chinese steal the IP of the products they assemble/manufacture, and now they're on the verge of reversing their thievery and simply stealing the whole product and leaving the foreign companies (eg:Apple) with just the IP.
Kinetic
February 15, 2012 at 3:42pm
"Is having its massive product assembly line setup and swaths of its total inventory of iPads taken over by Red China honestly commensurate punishment for a few lawsuits?"
If it were only "a few" lawsuits I would say no. But this is Apple we're talking about; a company who regularly attempts to block the sales of their competitor's products by drowning them in trivial lawsuits, filing injunctions to stall rival products from reaching consumers, or outright attempting to have them banned from sale and pulled from store shelves, all rather than actually competing with them.
So do I find it fitting and poetic that a company who strong-arms producers like Pegatron that manufacture both iDevices and rival electronics to stop production on a competitor's product may lose control of their own production means and their products? Yes.
JusTalkin
February 14, 2012 at 7:22pm
Realistically these companies know their IP is going to be stolen and duplicated if they manufacture in China. It's a trade-off. Cheaper manufacturing vs IP theft. There's a lot more profit in manufacturing them in China than keeping your IP from being stolen in China, apparently. Otherwise Apple wouldn't be there.
godsdog
February 14, 2012 at 2:49pm
So you don't care about China... ( you must be american )
I don't care about america at least they had freedom once and they blew it up. America went there trying to get them to respect brands, they are starting to do so.I would love to see apple moving production to the US, no one would be able to afford their crap.
The only shit america knows how to do is creating law suits, buy politicians and rigged elections .
vrmlbasic
February 14, 2012 at 10:26pm
You forgot "Kick ass and take names" as well as "Drag Europe's ass out of the fire when a war breaks out". "Team America: World Police" indeed ;)
If it weren't for America, Europe would be speaking either German or Russian by now, and all of the Pacific would be under Japanese control.
Speaking of buying politicians and rigged elections, I guess you're talking about our current dominant political party. I can't say you're wrong there. If you ever need your country's most fundamental laws circumvented, intransigent politicians converted, or dead people to vote, I'm sure we can get you in touch with some experts. :(
Engelsstaub
February 14, 2012 at 6:31pm
Maybe they should move manufacturing to Europe where everyone needs to make a ridiculous salary working a 32 hour week and snimper about everyone else's problems.
Fuck off with your nationalistic bullshit. ...or is this a political site; a soapbox for your cliched and tired-ass political spiels? (Rigged elections my ass: you're an auditor of the elective process? That's your area of expertise?)
bloodgain
February 14, 2012 at 11:54am
I hate patent/trademark trolling, but I can't hate on Proview for coming after Apple in this case. Apple had it coming, even if Proview trademarked the name after the fact (not saying they did, but if they did).
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