Apple iPads may face China export ban

[IDemo]

updated 2/14/2012 8:56:59 AM ET

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI — A Chinese tech firm that says it owns the iPad trademark, plans to seek a ban on exports of Apple Inc's computer tablets from China, a lawyer for the company said.

If successful, the move could deal a blow to the U.S. technology giant's iPad sales worldwide. Not only is China a huge consumer market but it is a major production base for the American company's iconic products including the iPad, iPhone and iPod.

The Chinese firm Proview Technology (Shenzhen) Co Ltd is petitioning Chinese customs to stop shipments of Apple's popular iPads in and out of China, though the customs have not responded to its request, lawyer Xie Xianghui told Asian Legal Business, a Thomson Reuters publication.

Customs officials could not be reached for comment and Proview declined to comment.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46380126/ns/business-us_business/

[Ian David]

1. One more argument against exporting jobs out of America. n/t

[onehandle]

3. Agreed. nt

[cliffordu]

4. Yep. Perfect.

[IDemo]

6. +1

[Moonwalk]

11. Agreed, but people seem to forget that, at one point...

Apple was the only computer company making personal computers in the U.S. All the other companies made theirs in China, allowing them to sell computers so cheap that Apple could not compete.

So I really can't blame Apple all that much. It started out as a totally American company and kept making its products in America until (and this was after Steve Jobs left the company) it's only choice was to go China or go under. And that choice was made by American consumers wanting dirt cheap computers, rather than computers that cost more but were made in the U.S.

[onehandle]

2. Other Chinese companies have tried to claim the rights to the iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air, iMacs...

...and more.

Which is why you can't buy them any more.

[IDemo]

5. This one may be a tad more troublesome

Though I don't expect it ultimately to be an iPad killer, Proview has convinced enough authorities in China that this action has been taken: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400227,00.asp

[onehandle]

13. Yes. Cops stole 45 iPads for some reason.

I bet that's never happened anywhere in the world!

[joelg]

7. Really?

I lived in China for a couple years and was overwhemed by various forms of piracy and close copies, like the Aple apod. There were outright copies from the simplest things to whole automobiles (look up the 2005 Chevy Spark and the Chery QQ)
Spare me.

[aquart]

8. Shakedown?

Because I'm supposed to believe there is no government collusion here?

[Thegonagle]

9. I don't think that's going to happen. But I'll Nelson-laugh if it does.

Ha ha!

[physioex]

10. I find myself torn....

As whom I should root for...

[Moonwalk]

12. As Apple stores in the U.S. employ a lot of people, as does Apple the company...

...and as Apple gave benefits to domestic partners before any laws supporting gay rights, and good health care and all the rest, I'd say you probably want to root for Apple. Especially since they're now going to be checking up on workers rights in the factories that make their products and, presumably, making sure they're treated right. Will this Chinese company do that if the iPad is declared theirs?

Still laughing?

[Report1212]

15. They've made the promise about workers rights more than once

I'm not saying they won't do it, just providing the context.

[physioex]

29. That's crazy....

The jobs you describe in the US are but a pittance. Imagine for a minute a iPhone or iPad manufactured here with environmental regulations in a union factory. Heck even imagine if it were manufactured in China under the same regulations. I would bet the labor would be a small fraction of the true cost of the product.

[DaveJ]

14. If this is only a Trademark issue, seems pretty inconsequential/stupid...

So what, Apple changes the name of the iPad? That's a lame name anyway. For a company that's supposed to be so creative, I'd think they'd have more imagination that just putting and "i" before all their product names.

Really I couldn't care less about a product line that is geared toward the more simplistic minds. I think Apple is fast becoming the manufacturer of choice for Conservatives, as they are unable to comprehend other devices.

There are much more fascinating things going on in the world of technology, products being invented that could actually have a profound impact on the future of society.

[eyewall]

16. I think there's a guy named Max

that could also sue Apple for stealing the name of his feminine hygiene product.

[Ed Suspicious]

25. And as an Ipad and Iphone user, fuck you very much. Apple devices allow me to be more productive

than I was without apple devices. I've been into technology for years. I go with apple because they have a unified and consistent platform that just works. My entire workflow is built around apple, not because I'm too simple-minded to handle a pc or linux machine, but because it just works in a very unified way. Time is money, and I don't have the time to not use such a user friendly system that covers nearly all my needs and many needs I haven't even discovered yet.

[saras]

27. Does your entire mind consist of advertising slogans, or just the Apple part?

OH

MY

GOD.

[Ed Suspicious]

28. I use the stuff. I don't watch the ads. I use the products and they work for me. That you and

others would need to insult me as slavish and simple minded for my preference in productivity devices says more about you than me I'm afraid.

[Romulox]

17. Apple's the company that set up shop in the piracy capital of the world.

This sort of extortion is simply the cost of doing business with a corrupt/fascist government.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. If China acts against Apple, the fallout could cause world disruptions for a while

at least until companies can retool and build outside of China.

What company in its right mind would risk doing business with china?

[Romulox]

20. Apple's got an 80 kazillion dollar war-chest. Something can be worked out. nt

[jbpdx]

19. That's going nowhere...

All electronics manufacturers should pull out of China anyway, but this story is ridiculous. That company "owns" the trademark about as much as I do. Wonder if this story is a Google plant?

[MarkCharles]

21. So make them in the USA !!!

Thousands of jobs, most of it high or reasonably skilled, and some of the I-pad is manufactured by robots. So dozens of IT robot jobs for Americans to make a few million of these buggers a year, here in the USA, shipped to all of North America, and to Europe.

So the price goes up $100 or so. In order for Americans to earn $12-30 an hour with reasonable benefits. Apple fanatics will pay that extra. And if they cannot come out of China to 30-50 nations in the world, fine! I doubt we have to worry about this.

Apple should immediately market a "made in America" I-pad. It would sell well.

[bloomington-lib]

23. An iAmerican tablet. Let people have a choice and see where it goes.

[Pholus]

30. You'd think that would be a great idea. Considered....and DENIED.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?pagewanted=all

[grahamhgreen]

22. This is just the beginning.

[tech_smythe]

24. ROTFLMFAO ... oh gods i cant breathe HAHAHAHA!!!

I'm sorry, but if they pull this off LOL
I dont see how anyone cane challenge apple's i-everything trademark.
whatever else I may say about apple, their brand is very clear, and very their's!

I suppose this is the ultimate example why you DONT want to goto china!

LOL prevented from exporting ipads FROM china HAHAHAHAHA I fucking love it!

Irony, thou art my master! LOL

[Vehl]

26. Ah the sweet irony...Apple...meet Karma (btw Apple stole the iPhone name too..from Cisco)

Apple, a company that loves to sue others over even the slightest imaginary "infringement" of their patents and copyrights, now has to face the music for using the patented iPad name. Serves them right for being the Patent Troll they are.

This is not the first time Apple did this, the name "iPhone" was patented by Cisco, yet Apple went ahead and named its phone the iPhone. Cisco sued Apple over this infringement, however unlike Apple, it was magnanimous enough to come to an agreement that allowed Apple to use the term iPhone.

Suit Filed to Protect Cisco's iPhone® Trademark

SAN JOSE, Calif., January 10, 2007 - Cisco® today announced that it has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Apple, Inc., seeking to prevent Apple from infringing upon and deliberately copying and using Cisco's registered iPhone trademark.

Cisco obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after completing the acquisition of Infogear, which previously owned the mark and sold iPhone products for several years. Infogear's original filing for the trademark dates to March 20, 1996. Linksys, a division of Cisco, has been shipping a new family of iPhone products since early last year. On Dec. 18, Linksys expanded the iPhone® family with additional products.

"Cisco entered into negotiations with Apple in good faith after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use Cisco's iPhone name," said Mark Chandler, senior vice president and general counsel, Cisco. "There is no doubt that Apple's new phone is very exciting, but they should not be using our trademark without our permission.

more here
http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2007/corp_011007.html


Just cos Apple is a mega corp, it cannot go about violating trademarks of others...doubly so when it enforces its own trademarks in a draconian manner.

I should also add that Apple stands to lose Billions for infringing (knowingly) upon Motorola patents. They should have known that what goes around, comes around.