The Taiwan-based Proview Electronics says it will now seek to regain global rights for the name iPad, as it sued Apple accusing it of fraud in a lawsuit filed in a California state court.
According to Proview’s complaint, Apple’s lawyers had formed an obscure special purpose entity to buy the iPad trademark.
The suit by Proview also said Apple sent an email with the allegedly false promise that it would not be competing with it, according to the Reuters.
Proview argues that the iPhone maker intentionally misled it when it bought iPad trademarks through a special purpose company called IP Application Development Ltd. that concealed it was acting on Apple’s behalf.
Proview was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that among the many allegations in the US complaint are fraud by intentional misrepresentation, fraud by concealment, fraudulent inducement and unfair competition.
Spokesman for Proview Cal Kenney said while some technology companies create special purpose vehicles in order to obtain trademarks, in this case the sole function of Apple’s special purpose vehicle was intentional misrepresentation and an effort to fraudulently induce Proview Taiwan into a sale of the IPAD trademarks.
