Proview Escalates iPad Name

The press release continues: "To further this deception, Apple used an intermediary, Farncombe International and its Managing Director, Graham Robinson, to create an elaborate but false pretext for the purchase of Proview's IPAD trademarks. Apple created a special purpose company named IP Application Development Limited ('iPAD Ltd.'), the concealed the fact that this company was acting as an agent of Apple."
"Graham Robinson further concealed Apple's involvement by adopting a false alias, Jonathan Hargreaves, which he used when negotiating with Proview," the statement says.
Proview also claims that Apple and Robinson misled the Chinese company regarding its intentions for the trademark.
Apple would not comment on the matter, but has repeatedly reiterated the company's stance that it bought the rights to the iPad name three years ago.
Apple has also threatened to sue Proview for making misleading statements to the press that could damage Cupertino's reputation in China.
The Mac maker faces several challenges in this battle. First of all, intellectual property laws are much different and much broader in China. Apple won a case in Hong Kong, but lower courts have ruled in Proview's favor.
For more, see PCMag's full review of the iPad 2 and the slideshow below.

At issue is who owns the rights to the iPad name, which Proview has been using in China since 1998. Apple bought the rights to the brand from Proview, a computer monitor maker, in 2009, but the Chinese company claims that only applies to Taiwan, not mainland China. A court ruled in Proview's favor in December, and that reportedly led to the seizure of iPads from stores in cities throughout China.
Proview also alleges that Apple was "pressed for time" when it bought the iPad brand and alleges that Apple was "predisposed to deception" considering Apple knew Proview was against its use of "similar trademarks."