Chinese Company Wants to Block iPad Shipments (AAPL)

Last week China’s Proview Technology (Shenzen) filed a $38 million lawsuit against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) claiming that the US company infringes on its copyright of the ‘iPad’ moniker. According to a Proview lawyer:

We plan to file the complaints to customs by the end of this month and ask for an embargo on the import and export of the iPad. We are asking for the ban especially for the iPad 3.

Perhaps more startling is the breadth of the moves against Apple. Here’s part of a report from ChinaDaily.com:

More than 20 administrations for industry and commerce in nine provinces have begun investigations or are already taking measures against Apple.

Gao Wei, a law enforcement official in Xinhua district of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, told Hebei Youth Daily that his team conducted a raid on iPads made by Apple in authorized and unauthorized resale channels of his jurisdiction at the request of Proview Shenzhen.

The two days of raids resulted in the confiscation of 45 units of the iPad 2 and a fine that is equal to up to no more than five times the value of illegally gained revenue.