report Authorities removing iPads from stores in China, following trademark ruling

[FMH]

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Government authorities and retailers have reportedly begun removing

iPads from stores in China this morning, in apparent response to a

ruling issued in December. According to China's Hebei Youth Daily,

local representatives of the country's Administrations of Industry and

Commerce (AIC) have started confiscating Apple's tablet from retail

outlets, with some merchants are voluntarily removing the device from

their storefronts as a pre-emptive measure. The scope of this operation

remains unclear, thoughChina.com reports that as of 5:00 PM yesterday,

authorities had seized some 45 iPad 2s. Retailers who voluntarily removed

their iPads apparently did so to protect their stocks from confiscation,

and are reportedly continuing to sell the tablet behind the counter. These

reports come nearly two months after Apple lost a trademark lawsuit

against Proview Technology, which successfully defended its ownership

of the iPad name within China. We're still waiting to see whether this is

part of a larger nationwide campaign and Apple has yet to comment, but

we'll update this post as soon as we hear more.

Update: China's iFeng is now reporting that these seizures took place in

the city of Shijiazhuang, as part of what appears to be an isolated campaign.

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