Taiwanese company Proview is planning to file a lawsuit against Apple for alleged trademark infringement over the iPad later this year, Proview’s chairman said on Tuesday.
Proview is seeking to ban Apple from selling the device in China under the iPad name, said Yang Rongshan, chairman for the company. The company plans on suing Apple in both China and the U.S.
“In China, the trademark is still owned by Proview. But Apple didn’t care about Chinese law,” Yang said. “We just want to be treated fairly.”
According to China’s trademark office, Proview still owns the IPAD trademark for China, registering it in 2000. However, online court records with Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court show that Apple took two legal actions this past August against Proview related to trademark disputes. The court cases are still pending.
Proview, which has offices located in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, builds display monitors and unsuccessfully launched its own tablet called the “I-Pad” about a decade ago. But the company has been struggling financially, and shareholders are adamant about resolving the issue with the trademark, Yang said.
Apple has declined to comment on the issue. The company began selling its iPad in China this September.