Apple this week spoke out regarding its iPad name battle against Proview Technology, arguing that its tablet nemesis is "misleading" consumers and court officials.
"Proview is misleading Chinese courts and customers with claims that the iPad trademarks cannot be transferred, or that mistakes were made in handling the transaction," Apple said in a statement provided to the AP. "We respect Chinese laws and regulations, and as a company that generates a lot of intellectual property we would never knowingly abuse someone else's trademarks."
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At issue is who owns the rights to the iPad name, which Proview has been using in China since 1998. Apple bought the rights to the brand from Proview, a computer monitor maker, in 2009, but the Chinese company claims that that deal only applies to Taiwan, not mainland China. A court ruled in Proview's favor in December, and that reportedly led to the seizure of iPads from stores in cities throughout China.
Last month, Proview brought the fight over the trademark to U.S. soil, filing a lawsuit against Apple in California Superior Court. Proview later amended that complaint to accuse Apple of several counts of unfair competition and fraud.
More recently, Proview issued a stern warning to Chinese retailers in the wake of the new iPad release via an open letter.
Apple's statement comes just days before the release of its new iPad, which will hit stores on March 16. For more, see PCMag's hands on with the new iPad and the slideshow below.