Chinese regulators have approved the iPad 3, pointing to the possibility of it hitting the market in China. China is the second largest morket for Apple products in the world. The New iPad has sold well in America, but Apple would see a large spike in sales if it were to made available in China.
According to the Associated Press, the Chinese government’s telecommunications equipment agency identified a product as A1430, the same model number of the iPad in the United States. Apple had no comment, so there is no confirmation that the device gaining approval was actually the iPad, although it is widely believed by the press that it is.
Apple has been in an ongoing legal battle over the iPad name in China. The heavily indebted tech company, Proview, has filed suit claiming ownership of the iPad name. The suit has been going on since late last year, halting sales of the iPad in China. Apple has recently offered the company $16 million in settlement, but the once profitable Proview owes creditors $400 million dollars.
With nothing to lose, they have been pushing litigation in as many courts as they can. Originally suing for $2 billion in the United States, Proview saw its case thrown out last week when the presiding judge deferred the case to the court in Hong Kong.
Most recently, Proview had a large chunk of evidence thrown out in the Hong Kong court. Proview lawyers submitted expert testimony incorrectly, resulting in the judges dismissal. This could be a turning point for Apple, who refuses to change the iPad name when released in China.
