Chinese Court Overturns iPhone 6 Patent Ruling in Apple's Favor

[MacRumors]

A Beijing court has overturned a 2016 ruling that Apple's iPhone 6 violated a Chinese manufacturer's patent, which saw intellectual property regulators attempt to bar sale of the phone in the country (via South China Morning Post).

Last June we reported that ailing company Shenzhen Baili filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming that the iPhone 6 violated the patent of its 100c smartphone. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the Beijing Intellectual Property Office ruled that the iPhone did infringe on Shenzhen's patent rights, accusing Apple of having "copied" the exterior design of the 100c phone.

The Cupertino company was ordered to halt sales in Beijing completely, but an appeal at a regional patent tribunal was granted that allowed both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to remain on sale. Today's news finally appears to have put an end to the legal dispute.

The court "quashes the decision of the bureau" and "recognises that Apple ... has not infringed the design patent filed by the company Shenzhen Baili", according to the verdict reported by the People's Court Daily.

The Beijing court ruled that the features of the iPhone 6 "completely change[d] the effect of the entire product" and made both phones "easily distinguishable in the eyes of consumers".

The decision is likely to be another nail in the coffin for Baili, which was reported to "barely exist" even at the time of its original victory in the intellectual property office. The company, along with its parent Digione, is no longer a competitor in the Chinese smartphone market and has since collapsed, blighted by mismanagement and public criticism of its products, which were seen as poor quality.

Apple's lawyers will be relieved with today's ruling, given that Apple has been on the losing side of Chinese intellectual property lawsuits in the past. In May 2016, an "iPhone" branded leather goods maker won a lawsuit filed by Apple, after the court ruled Xintong Tiandi had registered the word as a trademark in 2007, while Apple's phones didn't go on sale in China until 2009.

Article Link: Chinese Court Overturns iPhone 6 Patent Ruling in Apple's Favor

 

[Nadir98]

So they actually thought they had a chance....

 

[macs4nw]

Well, that's refreshing..... Meanwhile, Tim is singing in the shower.

 

[5105973]

All that investment and praising of globalization and affirmation that Apple is in China to stay that we read about earlier in the week is paying off, I see. Finally.

 

[acegreen]

So they actually thought they had a chance....

Well, that's refreshing..... Meanwhile, Tim is singing in the shower.

must be hard to come up with something clever and be first comment

 

[Royal Gala]

Well, that's refreshing..... Meanwhile, Tim is singing in the shower.

???????????

 

[newyorkone]

Actual justice in China. How novel...

 

[Gasu E.]

Well, that's refreshing..... Meanwhile, Tim is singing in the shower.

Thanks for sharing your fantasy.

 

[Wackery]

Well, that's refreshing..... Meanwhile, Tim is singing in the shower.

With his first generation apple watch that he's told the public about before

 

[macfacts]

Bribing works

 

[masterhiggins]

The Chinese should get back to what they're good at...counterfeiting American-branded products.

 

[I7guy]

Bribing works

Who bribed who?

 

[MH01]

seems to fit nicely with the other news around China and apple this week . See you can teach an old dog new tricks if they really want the $$$
[doublepost=1490458175][/doublepost]

Who bribed who?

Seriously ?

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....ibery-is-often-an-unspoken-rule-in-china/amp/

Just do a little research. Same goes for India, there is no corruption or bribes....

 

[I7guy]

seems to fit nicely with the other news around China and apple this week . See you can teach an old dog new tricks if they really want the $$$
[doublepost=1490458175][/doublepost]

Seriously ?

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....ibery-is-often-an-unspoken-rule-in-china/amp/

Just do a little research

Seriously. Nothing that can be proven although the rhetoric makes for great pejorative discussions.

Until you can prove it happened, in this instance, the statement is hyperbole.

 

[macs4nw]

Thanks for sharing your fantasy.

Don't mention it but, not so much a fantasy, I can hear him all the way over here, matter of fact, his happy crooning woke me.....

 

[MH01]

Seriously. Nothing that can be proven although the rhetoric makes for great pejorative discussions.

Until you can prove it happened, in this instance, the statement is hyperbole.

you are spot on, this case, apple being found guilty, while being able to continue to sell the iPhone 6, was all about wheels of justice cause that is how things happen in China .

Forget reality distortion cause apple is involved , research how business is done in china and comback to us and explain how there is no bribes or corruption and you have a valid point

Tim and apple know the game and are playing it, and have been for years .

 

[I7guy]

you are spot on, this case, apple being found guilty, while being able to continue to sell the iPhone 6, was all about wheels of justice cause that is how things happen in China .

Forget reality distortion cause apple is involved , research how business is done in china and comback to us and explain how there is no bribes or corruption and you have a valid point

Tim and apple know the game and are playing it, and have been for years .

But still nothing concrete only some generalist statements about this or that. Guilty until proven innocent sort of thing?

 

[MH01]

But still nothing concrete only some generalist statements about this or that. Guilty until proven innocent sort of thing?

I think you will find that when performing a bribe, its best to keep it hush hush. You don't get a receipt

Though kudos for saying it does not happen unless evidence is provided to yourself on a Apple fan site forum. So yet again, ignore that its apple, as that is clouding your judgement and just google "china bribes" "china corruption" etc . its a cultural thing.....

have you heard the expression "When in Rome do as the roman's do"?? Guess what, when in china your play by their rules and do things their way..... anyway feel free to educate yourself about business practices/culture in china.

Good day.

 

[I7guy]

I think you will find that when performing a bribe, its best to keep it hush hush. You don't get a receipt

Though kudos for saying it does not happen unless evidence is provided to yourself on a Apple fan site forum. So yet again, ignore that its apple, as that is clouding your judgement and just google "china bribes" "china corruption" etc . its a cultural thing.....

have you heard the expression "When in Rome do as the roman's do"?? Guess what, when in china your play by their rules and do things their way..... anyway feel free to educate yourself about business practices/culture in china.

Good day.

Right, so other than some general statement nothing can be proven. And thanks for your noteworthy comment regarding being on an apple fan site, as if that is the driving factor of the debate, not that the allegation cannot be proven because it must be the truth, because Apple is doing business in China and is "common knowledge" bribery and cronyism run rampart and therefore, Cook must be guilty of bribery. Sure some sound logic there.

Buy the way, it's pretty much "common knowledge" that bribery and cronyism are required in every corner of the world to get things done.

Good day also!

 

[MH01]

Right, so other than some general statement nothing can be proven. And thanks for your noteworthy comment regarding being on an apple fan site, as if that is the driving factor of the debate, not that the allegation cannot be proven because it must be the truth, because Apple is doing business in China and is "common knowledge" bribery and cronyism run rampart and therefore, Cook must be guilty of bribery. Sure some sound logic there.

Buy the way, it's pretty much "common knowledge" that bribery and cronyism are required in every corner of the world to get things done.

Good day also!

Big big difference how the west and east perceive corruption. So to your last point, no, in the west it's not the norm to expect to bribe someone when doing business, nor is it required. Yet again please read up on business practices / culture in the east. In no way is it like the west.

 

[I7guy]

Big big difference how the west and east perceive corruption. So to your last point, no, in the west it's not the norm to expect to bribe someone when doing business, nor is it required. Yet again please read up on business practices / culture in the east. In no way is it like the west.

Yet there is no evidence or smoking gun of the alleged bribery by Cook. Saying to read up on it, doesn't make that fact any truer.

And it certainly is the norm to expect a tit for tat in the west. Pretty much "common knowledge". But doesn't mean everything is cronyism and bribery.

 

[gnasher729]

Bribing works

But this Chinese company learned that sometimes you need some money to bribe people, and more money to keep them bribed.
[doublepost=1490464731][/doublepost]

have you heard the expression "When in Rome do as the roman's do"?? Guess what, when in china your play by their rules and do things their way..... anyway feel free to educate yourself about business practices/culture in china.

I wonder whether you realise that if Apple bribed a judge in China, that would be a crime according to US law, and it would be prosecuted in the USA.

 

[MH01]

But this Chinese company learned that sometimes you need some money to bribe people, and more money to keep them bribed.
[doublepost=1490464731][/doublepost]
I wonder whether you realise that if Apple bribed a judge in China, that would be a crime according to US law, and it would be prosecuted in the USA.

There is an art to how these things are done, and that is not blatant bribes from Apple to the judge on the case.

 

[5105973]

There is an art to how these things are done, and that is not blatant bribes from Apple to the judge on the case.

Exactly. I think actually Tim Cook probably would have moral compunctions against out and out bribery, not to mention legal concerns. A man of his intelligence and savvy has to draw the line somewhere after all. But he isn't over there pushing billions of dollars of investments in their workers and their economy and singing their praises and singing the praises of globalization (while simultaneously shedding a crocodile tear for the workers that globalization destroys)...and being an accessory to their crackdowns on freedom of speech and human rights for nothing, either.

 

[Naraxus]

I see Tim's bribes are finally bearing fruit