Huge Apple fan base in China to make iPad ban tricky: Proview

China-based, Proview Technology is now finding it difficult to uniformly impose a ban on all the shipments of the iPad in China. Reason? Apple’s very popular in the country, with a decently sized fan base. The company, which has been battling Apple, since a while now over infringement claims, only recently resorted to implementing a ban on the products, by the way of temporary impoundment. Proview Technology, according to regular reports, has been indulging in seizing iPads, across several retail stores in the country, this past week; in some cases, even leading to retailers voluntarily, either pulling down the products from display, or selling it secretly, under the counter. 

iPad woes

Proview Technology now, reportedly has been told by some custom officials that Apple’s popularity in China will make it difficult for them to impose a ban uniformly; the company, however has asked some local customs for the ban. Reports coming in also state that lawyers representing Proview Technology have affirmed that they would be seeking a ban on all of Apple’s iPads, while in China. Undoubtedly, if that happens, it will make a dent in Apple’s sales in the country, which by no means is insignificant.

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For those not in the know, Proview Technology, a Shenzhen, China-based firm has been seeking a ban on all the shipments of Apple’s iPad tablet computers, in and out of China. The company claims, and has the court convinced that they are the rightful owners of the term, iPad, while in China. On grounds of temporary impoundment, Proview has since been instructing authorities to seize all iPads, across retail stores in the country.

The company, Proview Technology, according to this report has been mentioned as one with a lot of debt, and has further stated that, “… Proview was taking legal action, seeking up to 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in compensation from Apple for trademark infringement, saying that the compensation could be the last hope to help rescue the company.” Proview Technology is undergoing crisis, and reportedly is a unit of " troubled Hong Kong-listed Proview International Holdings, which used to be one of the world’s top monitor makers until the financial crisis in 2008 crippled its business and operations."

Reuters