iPad Export Ban Difficult to Impose; the Chinese “Love Apple Products”

Chinese authorities are not likely to impose an export ban on the Apple iPad, even with trademark-related lawsuits from Proview Technologies.

In this file photo taken on Jan. 26, 2011, a man stands near Apple's iPad advertisement in Shanghai, China. Chinese officials said Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, that investigators in Shijiazhuang, southwest of Beijing, started seizing iPads last week at the request of a company that filed a complaint with the government accusing Apple Inc. of violating its rights to the iPad name. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

China is a big market for Apple. Likewise, Chinese consumers are big fans of Apple products, as evident with how wannabe iPhone and iPad owners line up in droves outside Apple retail stores for the latest gadget releases. But with Apple’s recent trademark row with Proview Technologies,  will an impending iPad export ban prove to be disastrous to Apple?

Proview Technologies claims to still own the “IPAD” trademark. Even after selling the brand name to a company closely related with Apple in 2006, the company says this does not include China. As such, the company has requested authorities to impose sales bans on the iPad, to the extent of having iPad units pulled out of retail store shelves. But Proview’s request to ban exports of the iPad from China might prove to be difficult.

Customs authorities have told Proview that such a ban would be difficult to impose, Reuters reports. “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,” says Yang Long-San, chief executive at Proview’s Shenzen office.

But even with heavy costs and setbacks with customs officials, Proview lawyer Roger Xie says the company is adamant at putting pressure on Apple. An export ban would be disastrous for China, given its heavy reliance on its China-based manufacturing facilities and suppliers.

via ZDNet

About author
J. Angelo Racoma is passionate about the enabling nature of technology in both emerging and established markets. A technology and automotive journalist with a keen eye for emerging standards, Angelo has written extensively about mobile, social media, enterprise apps and startups as senior writer for e27 and contributor to Android Authority. Angelo lives east of Manila and is looking to become better-immersed in the emerging tech startup scene in the Philippines. Follow @jangelo via Twitter for updates.

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