Liquidation blocked for iPad trademark dispute company

A court on Saturday blocked a request to liquidate Proview Electronics, which is in dispute with Apple Inc. over the use of the iPad trademark.

The Intermediate People's Court of Shenzhen rejected the request filed by Proview's creditor Fubon Insurance, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Fubon Financial, on the grounds that the iPad trademark owned by Proview as a company asset might be valuable enough to pay off its debts.

"As it is too early to determine Proview lacks the ability to pay off its debts, the court does not accept Fubon's request to liquidate Proview," said a decision issued by the court.

Proview has been suing Apple in court over rights to use the iPad trademark commonly associated with the California-based technology giant's popular tablet computer. Proview claims that its Hong Kong-based parent Proview International Holdings Limited's Taipei subsidiary registered the iPad trademark in a number of countries and regions as early as 2000.

Legal experts, however, earlier said Proview's suit against Apple could be halted once the Shenzhen court accepted Fubon's liquidation request.