China to crackdown on trademarks following "iPad" issue

Trademarks in China are a notoriously shady business, but according to Reuters, that's something the country is trying to change. Chinese authorities will begin reviewing trademark laws in hopes to prevent so-called "malicious" registrations, or attempts to glean money from established brands.

Apple recently had to deal with a similar issue in the country relating to the iPad name and eventually paid a whopping $60 million to Proview. Cupertino levied a lawsuit against the company for rights to the name, but a Chinese court rejected the claim based on the fact that Proview had owned the iPad name in China since 2000. After Apple's legal attack fell short, Proview went on the offensive and eventually scored the $60 million judgement which allowed Apple to openly sell the iPad in the country.

Apple's iPad issues don't exactly fall under the umbrella of "malicious" registrations, given that Proview owned the name well in advance of Apple's tablet hitting the market, but it's a plus that China will begin keeping a closer eye on the trademark scene as a whole.