Apple has lost a trademark dispute in China following the verdict of a Chinese court which ruled that Xintong Tiandi, a Chinese company that makes leather goods can use iPhone, the brand name popularized by Apple to brand its products.
Apple and Tiandi have been locked in a legal battle since 2012. Apple had approached the court to stop the latter branding its product with iPhone.
According to reports, Apple applied for a trademark in 2002 that wasn’t approved until 2013 while Tiandi applied for the same trademark of iPhone in 2007 and the application was approved in 2010. Hinging its decision on this, the Chinese court rejected Apple’s prayers to prevent Tiandi from using iPhone.
Commenting on the Court’s decision, Xintong Tiandi wrote on its website “The court’s decision is a reflection of a free market. We will make full achievement of the iPhone trademark and work with Apple to benefit more iPhone customers.”
This is the second time Apple is losing a trademark dispute in China. Apple paid $60 million to Shenzhen Tech company to settle a dispute over the use of iPad.
