Chinese Tablet Maker May Sue Apple Over iPad
Drama, drama, drama.
There's a lot of legal debates surround the name iPad and whether Apple should be allowed to use it at all. Given that Fujitsu applied for the trademark first and Mag-Tek actually owns it already, the fact that Apple has also applied for it makes the situation even messier.
However, Apple could have even bigger problems than a legal battle over a really lame and annoying name (remind me, why is everyone desperate to sell an 'iPad' anyway?); the company could soon come under fire for the design of the iPad tablet too.
PCWorld reports that Shenzhen Great Loong Brother Industrial started selling its P88 tablet last year and is not ruling out a lawsuit against Apple. A company representative named only as Wu said that despite the company being known for knock-off or 'shanzhai' phones, they were first with their tablet, which bears a striking resemblance to the iPad. "For this thing we are not shanzhai, because we were first," he said.
While the P88 and the iPad look alike, the former is a 10.2-inch Windows device and weighs considerably more than the iPad. It also has doesn't have the battery life that the iPad claims to have and is a lot thicker.
That said, the two devices both have screens with a large, black bezel and are touchscreen devices of a similar size.
Do you think Shenzhen Great Loong Brother Industrial has a case? Let us know in the comments below!


It's like GM suing Ford for making trucks.
It's like GM suing Ford for making trucks.
..has doesn't have...?
To top that off, many of the smart phones seem to have a black bezel and chrome edge. It would be nice if companies would all just make their stuff unique. That costs money though.
If we can't go after companies in China for copywrite infringement (such as with movies, software, and device knock offs), how can they sue someone here in the US?
As far as the patentablility, they would have to have a US patent on a tablet device of specific dimensions and weight, and functionality. All of which would be difficult to patent at this time because the description would be too generic and because of similarities to other devices.
No, not really.
I rather go and get one of those new same-all netbook that are still coming out as "new" products.
This tablet thing... Visionary my |€@.
I love my MSI U100 ^^
As to why everyone wants to sell an iPad Jane, I honestly don't know. The name itself is pretty meh.. and it doesn't sit to well with many of my female friends either.