Madras High Court: No Appeal Lies Against E-Court Status or Adjournment Orders  ||  Chhattisgarh HC: Judicial Officer Promotion Cannot be Denied on Complaint Without Disciplinary Action  ||  Delhi High Court: January 1 as Deemed Service Date For Delhi and Andaman Civil and Police Officers  ||  Delhi High Court: Private Media Houses Performing Public Functions are Subject to Writ Jurisdiction  ||  Rajasthan High Court Orders Registration of Pets That May Pose a Threat to Human Life  ||  Delhi High Court: NSE Qualifies as a Public Authority under the RTI Act  ||  Bombay High Court: Sikh Exemption From Helmet Rule is a Reasonable Classification under Article 14  ||  Supreme Court: Advocate Cannot Enter a Compromise Without the Client’s Authorisation  ||  Calcutta High Court: State Must Protect Every Accused From Mob Violence  ||  Supreme Court: Gujarat Municipal Election Candidates Must Disclose Their Spouses’ Assets    

Apple Inc. v. PRC State Administration for Industry and Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, Beijing - (04 May 2016)

When an iPhone is not an iPhone

Intellectual Property Rights

The Beijing Higher People’s Court handed an inconveniently timed verdict rejecting Apple’s application for striking out the trade mark ‘iPhone’ granted to a Chinese company.

Xintong Tiandi, the Respondent, had registered the ‘iPhone’ trade mark for 18 classes of goods, including imitation leather bags, umbrellas and walking sticks. It applied for the mark in 2007, soon after Apple released its mobile phone, and in 2010 extended the mark to leather products.

Apple had fought an uphill battle from the very off, not least considering China’s admirable record of protecting domestic industry by overlooking divisive copying of intellectual property. Its demand for cancellation of the mark had been rejected by the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board; and so was the appeal to Beijing’s First Intermediate People’s Court.

Apple can request a retrial before the Supreme People’s Court.

Tags : APPLE   IPHONE   TRADE MARK   CHINA  

Share :        

Disclaimer | Copyright 2026 - All Rights Reserved