When an outside source tried to be cute by running under the domain, iphone5.com, Apple swiftly took action to seeing the site terminated. Apple even invested in organizations like ICANN in the unlikely event that future domains will emerge that could remotely be linked to their brand.

But that’s how Apple operates. Now, the company known for its extreme brand vigilance, is making international headlines for tying up loose ends associated with the iPad trademark in China, and U.S. consumers could not be more surprised.

The news that Apple just today purchased the rights to the iPad trademark from a company named Proview Technologies, is astonishing for many U.S. consumers.

But it is in the Chinese market where the $60 million settlement will resonate the loudest. The two companies reached an agreement today to resolve a prolonged dispute; Apple can continue the sales of their tablets in China without a hitch.



The Wall Street Journal suggests that the significance of this case is seen in how it illustrates “new intellectual-property challenges for foreign businesses in China.” Proview registered the iPad trademark in China back in 2001, but has been unsuccessful so far at acquiescing from Apple what they believed they were due.

Other lawsuits that Proview had filed against Apple, such as the one filed back in February, have been dismissed.

Although Apple claimed to have purchased the rights of the iPad trademark in other countries, it was Proview’s position that Apple failed to do so in China.

Because of this, Proview has been somewhat successful at convincing Chinese retailers to ban the sales of Apple’s latest tablets. Some sources claim that Proview sought up $1.6 billion from Apple, but the $60-million settlement is believed by some to alleviate some of the substantial debt acquired by the company.