Proview Technology is making headlines this week with its push to block imports and exports of iPads in China. Today,
Reutersreported that the Chinese company has asked the Nation for more than it can handle. China’s customs authorities told Proview that it would be difficult to impose such a ban.
The Chinese company has already applied to local authorities to implement bans on sales of the iPad in as many as 20 cities. Yesterday, Proview Technology’s lawyers said that the company would file a request with the nation’s customs bureau to impose a ban on all exports of Apple’s tablet.
“The customs have told us that it will be difficult to implement a ban because many Chinese consumers love Apple products. The sheer size of the market is very big,” Yang Long-san, chief of Proview Technology (Shenzhen), told Reuters in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
Considering Apple gets most of its supplies and manufacturing from China, this widespread ban could have created a serious problem for the tech giant. However, it looks like the Chinese government doesn’t want to disrupt its relationship with a company that invests billions into its economy.
This morning, Chinese language blog Tech Sina reported that Apple is voluntarily pulling iPads from online stores. The company requested that Amazon China and Suning Tesco remove the tablet from their websites. This is common practice for Apple. They followed a similar path when the iPhone and iPad was temporarily banned in Germany. This compliance is a good move on the part of Apple, as it shows that it is working in good faith with the Chinese government.
Apple says it purchased the rights to the trademark in 10 different countries years ago through a subsidiary of Proview International, the parent company of Proview Technology. However, the company insists that the trademark did not include China. Chinese courts agreed and now Proview is attempting to launch a full-scale attack on Apple.
Apple is appealing the court’s decision. The hearing is scheduled for February 29. Proview also filed a trademark infringement complaint that will be heard February 22. It looks like Apple will know its fate just in time for the iPad 3 announcement.
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