Apple's new product, Vision Pro, is expected to enter the Chinese market ahead of schedule, but its trademark issue remains unresolved.
According to Jiemian News, Apple is likely to give up the use of "Vision Pro" and instead register "Apple Vision Pro" as its official trademark.
In Chinese mainland, the "Vision Pro" trademark has been registered by a number of companies, involving product categories such as digital signage, optical glasses and goggles, etc., with less conflict with Apple products. However, Huawei's "Vision Pro" trademark is in direct conflict with Apple's headsets, covering a variety of categories such as smart glasses, wearable computers, and video monitors.
Xiaozhi found through the China Trademark Network that as early as May 16, 2019, Huawei had applied for the trademark Vision Pro, and officially announced on November 27, 2021 that the exclusive right to use the trademark will be valid from November 28, 2021 to November 27, 2031, and its exclusive right period will be as long as 10 years.
According to the information, the registration number of the Vision Pro trademark is 38242888, the international classification is 9, and the approved goods/services include LCD TVs, head-mounted virtual reality devices, radio equipment, etc.
Apple is also applying for two trademarks, "Vision Pro" and "(Apple logo) Vision Pro", but they are currently under "rejection review".
This also means that Apple will have to resolve trademark issues in order to sell the Vision Pro in the Chinese market. One solution is to declare Huawei's "Vision Pro" trademark invalid, in fact, Huawei's current trademark status is indeed "revocation/invalidation application review", which means that someone has filed an application for invalidation of the trademark, and the subject of this application is most likely Apple.
It is reported that Apple has applied for the trademarks "Apple Vision" and "Apple Vision Pro", and the current status is "pending substantive examination".
IT Home noticed that Apple has begun to use the name "Apple Vision Pro" on its official website in China and in press releases. Some lawyers believe that the use of the "Apple Vision Pro" trademark may reduce confusion with Huawei products, but there is still a risk of infringement, and Apple may defend itself on the grounds that the trademark is weak.
The "Vision Pro" is another important product for Apple after the iPhone, and could define the next generation of personal computing platforms. Apple is expected to do its best to avoid trademark infringement issues for its products, but the legal departments of Apple and Huawei may soon face a legal battle.
Trademark is a stepping stone for products to enter the market, and all enterprises should pay attention to the application and layout of trademarks. Chinasoft Group has been deeply involved in the intellectual property industry for 23 years, with more than 3,000 kinds of services, including trademark, patent, copyright confirmation and transaction services, intellectual property evaluation services, intellectual property legal services, design and development services, high-tech identification services and other value-added services. If you have any intellectual property needs, please feel free to contact us.
Source: IT House, China Trademark Network of the State Intellectual Property Office, etc