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Proview Seeking to Cut Off Apple's Worldwide Supply of iPads
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LOL. Ok, we all the know the Chinese corps are a bunch of Pirates, but I'm willing to bet that Apple has the right Chinese officials in their top pocket. Good luck with the extortion. Apple doesn't give in to anyone.
Wait, so in the other thread, where I suggested that you folks would be upset if some other company were able to pressure Pegatron to cease production of MacBook Airs, everyone blasted me because they thought I was talking about a corporate bribe.
But when it's Apple doing the bribing, it's OK?
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Hmm, an export ban right when apple is stockpiling 2-4 million iPad 3s for launch in a month?
Absolutely an extortion for settlement. Hope they didn't bribe the judge.
Hmm, an export ban right when apple is stockpiling 2-4 million iPad 3s for launch in a month?
Absolutely an extortion for settlement. Hope they didn't bribe the judge.
There is always a 3rd option:
Just engrave the iPads in a different country. Ship them without the engraving and no device infringes any name right. Then, maybe just over the water in Taiwan, you engrave the back ot the iPads. Done.
Just engrave the iPads in a different country. Ship them without the engraving and no device infringes any name right. Then, maybe just over the water in Taiwan, you engrave the back ot the iPads. Done.
I love Apple products. Only buy Apple computers. But as a company, they don't really do much for our country, besides give us the best computers. If I had it my way, any company which sells 50% of goods in the USA would have to have 50% of their workforce employed here. Less than 50%, it would be based on the percentage sold.
Like any company, they want to make a profit first. If in the process, they make us happy, well that is a plus. How much profit is enough? Say they make these in the USA, and keep the same price point. Is $7B profit for a quarter good enough vs $13B? Why not just profit a billion per quarter, then lower the prices? Not going to happen. Business is all about making money first, at all costs. Nothing against Apple. That is how you run a business. You don't get an award for running a company into the ground, you get it for $13B quarterly profits.
Slap on a 20% tariff on all Chinese exports. That will bring some jobs back home. And Apple will have to learn to profit more realistically. People will say an iPad would be $999.99, well then people wouldn't buy them. If Apple made iPads here, they would have to cost $499, or I'd be an Android fan-boy in a day.
I own a single share of Apple stock. I paid $15.00 for it back in like 2002. It split way back, and I sold that split share for like $390.00. I'm keeping my single share forever. But that just shows you how much this company has grown. Couldn't' they be just as successful as a $250.00/share company? It seems they don't really need that much profit anyway, as they have like $100B in the bank. So why do their products cost so much, and why do them make them so cheaply in China?
IDK, but I would like if Apple could be more patriotic and maybe hire some manufacturing jobs in this country. That would be greater than any iPad they could ever make.
Of course I'll be standing in line and buying an iPad 3 next month. And my friend and her son will also be buying one (each). So Apple is doing pretty good.
Export ban?
So Proview is claiming worldwide rights to the iPad name? Good luck with that.
Even if Apple loses in China, they can always change the name of the product in China. Everywhere else they own the name.
If China blocks the export of products because they infringe a local trademark, they might find the WTO would take issue with that.
Long term this would be a disaster for the country.
However, don't discount that Apple could lose this case in China. China has enormous leverage over Apple and Proview could easily be a company owned by the PLA, who see this as an easy way to skim revenue off Apple.
So Proview is claiming worldwide rights to the iPad name? Good luck with that.
Even if Apple loses in China, they can always change the name of the product in China. Everywhere else they own the name.
If China blocks the export of products because they infringe a local trademark, they might find the WTO would take issue with that.
Long term this would be a disaster for the country.
However, don't discount that Apple could lose this case in China. China has enormous leverage over Apple and Proview could easily be a company owned by the PLA, who see this as an easy way to skim revenue off Apple.
Or, buy out Proview, then promptly fire everyone and send them looking for a job in a factory packing iPads into a box....
Start moving production to Vietnam and the Philippines and see how China comes down on this issue.
This is all very funny considering how many blatant ripoffs are produced in China that they turn a blind eye to.
The Chinese gov't usually backs domestic companies. It's probably true that Apple has a completely valid licensing agreement with Proview's parent company. But the Chinese gov't see this as a way to wring more money out of apple for a domestic company. Plain and simple.
How would you feel if Apple stole one of your trademarks?
Monitors since 2000s; a MacRumor member posted a photo of one of their products.
It doesn't matter if your company is big or small, if you own a trademark it is yours to use.
Being Apple doesn't give the company carte blanche to do what it feels like.
I bought the title for your house from the guy standing on the street corner. I say screw you, move out of your house, it's mine now.
This is essentially what Apple did. Apple's lawyers were misled or negligent in ensuring valid licensing of the name...
This is Apple's fault entirely. I don't know how you guys can blindly believe Apple is doing the right thing.
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If you understood the arguments then you'd know $80 billion wouldn't make any difference in the short to medium term.
Cost isn't the main issue, there is a severe lack of skilled (engineers) and unskilled labour in the US to be able to produce them at the quantities required. To get to the manufacturing capability of China, it will require a lot more than $80 billion.
I read or heard somewhere that it would cost the consumer 24% more for Apple products to be produced in the United States. For a company with a profit margin as large as Apple it seems like they could swallow part of that.
A company like apple with such a rabid fanbase could charge more for there items, make slightly less profit but get a TON of customers because of their "Made in America" policy.
They are the one company that really has that ability. But they are like every other company. Things are super profitable now, so why change?
A company like apple with such a rabid fanbase could charge more for there items, make slightly less profit but get a TON of customers because of their "Made in America" policy.
They are the one company that really has that ability. But they are like every other company. Things are super profitable now, so why change?
The "bring employment and manufacturing jobs into the US" argument here is ridiculous. Some of you need to take a class in economics.
So, Apple exports jobs outside the US/EU which are their main markets, so they can pay slave wages and work conditions and now there is a threat that these strategies backfire.
Are we supposed to feel sorry for Apple or something?
You are totally clueless.
If by "stole" you mean licensed years before they ever brought their product to market from the company that owns Proview. It's possible the language was fuzzy enough that Proview's lawyers simply saw a payday. Either way, it's obvious what's going on, and the term "good faith" isn't part of it. Apple did what they thought they needed to do in order to get the iPad trademark rights in China a LONG time ago.
Well said.
Visit a factory in China. You'll change your mind. Their factories are like cities, and their cities are like countries.
Look beyond this issue to what Apple COULD do if they wanted:
"Attention world. You won't get your iPad3, nor ANY Apple product made in China until this case is settled. As of today, ALL shipments of ALL Apple products from China are being suspended by us. We are asking for all Apple customers to boycott ANYTHING made in China until this issue is resolved. We have the money to wait this out, and you have the power to bring China effectively to it's knees in a few days."
Game. Set. Match.
"Attention world. You won't get your iPad3, nor ANY Apple product made in China until this case is settled. As of today, ALL shipments of ALL Apple products from China are being suspended by us. We are asking for all Apple customers to boycott ANYTHING made in China until this issue is resolved. We have the money to wait this out, and you have the power to bring China effectively to it's knees in a few days."
Game. Set. Match.