Apple IPhones Found to Have Violated Chinese Rival’s Patent
- Beijing’s IP Office rules in favor of little-known Baili
- Apple says iPhone 6 models are available for sale in China
Philip 'Phil' Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple Inc., speaks about the Apple Inc. iPhone 6s and 6s Plus smartphones during an Apple product announcement in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 9, 2015.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergApple Inc. violated the design patents of a Chinese device maker and may have to halt sales of its latest iPhones in Beijing, the city’s intellectual property authority ruled, handing the U.S. company its latest setback in a pivotal market.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus infringe on Shenzhen Baili’s patent rights because of similarities to its 100C phone, the Beijing Intellectual Property Office wrote in its decision. Apple, whose iconic gadgets helped define the modern smartphone industry, said it’s appealing the ruling and is continuing to sell various iPhone 6 models during the process.