Apple was forced to pay the Chinese company Proview Technology $60 million last July following a legal dispute over the iPad name. Proview had owned the iPad trademark within China and was able to force Apple to fork over a substantial sum of money in order to use it.
These ‘malicious’ trademarks in the country are something that the government is now looking to crack down on, the state media stated Monday. Companies are getting away with stealing the ideas and properties of other foreign companies and then selling the rights back to them for profit. It is a problem that several foreign countries and companies have long complained about. Michael Jordan recently sued a Chinese company, stating that they built their entire sporting company and brand by using his image without permission.
The suggested amendment will provide protection to major international brands, allowing copyright owners the ability to ban other companies from registering their trademarks or from using similar ones, even if the trademark isn’t registered within China itself.
Tighter copyright laws are something that China desperately needs. While it’s always funny to see the terrible knock-off Apple products that are released, the world would be a better place if the hiPhone 5 didn’t exist.
