iPads seized from one Shijiazhuang, China Apple reseller

Local officials from China's Administration of Industry and Commerce (AIC) reportedly confiscated iPads from an Apple reseller in the city of Shijiazhuang. An article in the Chinese newspaper, Hebei Youth Daily, claims this seizure was the result of a recent Proview iPad trademark infringement verdict. It is not known whether the AIC acted alone in response to this judgment or at the request of a Proview official.

Another report from the Sina Tech News claims AIC officials in provinces outside Hebei are also investigating the sale of the tablet device and have asked some merchants to stop selling them openly. This Sina News report also claims Proview may take a bloder step and ask the General Administration of China Customs to ban the import and export of the iPad.

The case has a complicated background. According to a previous report, a Taiwanese subsidiary of Proview sold the iPad trademark to a UK company which later sold the trademark to Apple. Proview contested these transfers because it did not attend the original trademark negotiations in Taiwan. A Chinese court agreed and ruled Proview still owns its trademark on the iPad name. Apple has appealed this decision, but it could still face sanctions until a ruling is made on this appeal.

[Via The Next Web and Penn-Olson]