CHINA TOPIX

03/29/2024 08:22:19 am

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Chinese Leather Company Wins Against Apple Trademark Case

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(Photo : Reuters) Apple has the potential to reach millions of new users in India, according to analysts.

Apple lost a trademark suit against a Chinese handbag and leather goods company that uses the same brand, iPhone.

Beijing Municipal High People’s Court has rejected Apple’s appeal of the trademark dispute against Xintong Tiandi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., leaving the Chinese firm free to wiggle its bare backside at the Cupertino-based tech company. The final judgement allows the Beijing company to brand leather products including handbags, purses, and cellphone and passport cases with the name “iPhone.”

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The trademark dispute between Apple and the local Chinese company started in 2012 as Apple fought to gain exclusive rights over the iPhone brand. Following the court’s ruling, Xintong Tiandi took to its website to state that the decision highlights the existence of a “free market.” The judgement makes no distinction between Apple’s lower-case “i” in the brand and Xintong’s uppercase “I,” referring to both company’s brands as “IPHONE.”

“We will also make full achievement of the ‘iphone’ trademark, and work together [with Apple] to benefit more iphone consumers!” the company added.

Chinese authorities refused to revoke Xintong Tiandi's trademark and argued that Apple's iPhone was not prominent in the region when Xintong Tiandi submitted its application. Xintong Tiandi registered the “IPHONE” trademark to make leather products back in 2007, and the after five years, Apple registered the same name in China for computer software and hardware.

This is not the first time Apple has taken the Chinese company to court. Back in 2012, a court ruled that Apple must pay a Shenzhen tech company $60 million over the iPad name. In 2015, it went as far as blocking its news app in the country to avoid displeasing the Chinese authorities.

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