Proview Sees ‘Big Gap’ After Apple Offers IPad Settlement

Proview Technology (Shenzhen) Co. said a “big gap” remains with Apple Inc. (AAPL) after the U.S. company offered compensation to settle their dispute over ownership of the iPad trademark in China.

Apple proposed an amount of money to resolve the legal case as part of the mediation process being directed by the Higher People’s Court of Guangdong, Roger Xie, a lawyer for Proview, said by phone today. He declined to disclose the amount or when Apple made the offer.

“The Guangdong Higher People’s court is trying to mediate this, and both parties are trying to negotiate and come to a settlement,” Xie said. “Right now, there is still a big gap between the two sides on the settlement amount.”

Carolyn Wu, a spokeswoman for Apple in Beijing, declined to comment on Xie’s remarks. Apple has said it acquired the rights to the iPad trademark in China from a Proview sister company in 2009 and that the company has refused to honor that agreement.

On Feb. 29, the Guangdong court heard Apple’s appeal of a lower court ruling last year that Proview owned the iPad trademark in China. Proview, a failed maker of computer displays, has filed separate complaints alleging that Apple’s sale of iPad tablets in the country infringed intellectual- property laws.

Proview Technology is a unit of Hong Kong-listed Proview International Holdings Ltd. (334), whose shares have been suspended from trading since 2010.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Edmond Lococo in Beijing at elococo@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at mtighe4@bloomberg.net