A Hong Court ruled in Apple's favor last summer, finding that Shenzhen Proview was trying to "take advantage" of the situation. In December, Proview won a judgement against Apple in a provincial Chinese court, resulting in iPads being removed from some retailers' shelves. A hearing on Apple's appeal is scheduled for Feb. 29.
Proview, which filed for bankruptcy in 2010, has said it is open to a settlement. Meanwhile, the Hejun Vanguard Group, a consulting company representing Proview's creditors, announced last week that it is preparing to sue Apple in the U.S. for $2 billion.
"It's all about the money," reads an editorial in the English-language China Daily. "People are anxious to see whether Proview (Shenzhen), which has fallen on hard times, can force Apple to pay up for sloppy legal work establishing its trademark."
Apple seems in no mood to settle. In a letter to Proview's chairman delivered Monday, it claimed to have evidence that he personally authorized the sale of all rights, Taiwanese and Chinese. The letter threatened to sue him for defamation, which in China can be punishable by death.
