Chinese iPad shipments double following trademark dispute
updated 05:07 pm EST, Fri November 16, 2012
Q3 iPad shipments reach 2.07 million units
Following the resolution of the lawsuit between Apple and Proview over the iPad trademark, iPad shipments to the Chinese market have nearly doubled. This according to analysts with research firm IDC, who found that shipments of Apple's tablet jumped from 1.15 million units in the second quarter of this year to 2.07 million in the last quarter. The release of the third-generation iPad had been delayed following the finding by Chinese government officials that Proview rightfully held claim to the iPad trademark.
The dispute between Apple and Proview stemmed from the Proview's 2009 sale of the iPad trademark for $55,000 to an entity that turned out to be a shell company for Apple. A Chinese court ruled in favor of Proview, stating that the company's Shenzen division was the actual owner of the trademark.
The iPad was cleared for sale in China in May of this year, and Apple reached a settlement with Proview in July. Under that agreement, Apple would pay Proview $60 million.
The 2.07 million iPads Apple sold in China this past quarter help shore up its standing as the top tablet manufacturer in the market. The figure is nearly ten times what Apple's nearest competitor, Lenovo, sold. Worldwide, Apple shipped 14 million iPads in the third quarter.
