The American company tried to prohibit HUAWEI from using the MatePod trademark through a court, pointing to the similarity with the names of its own products. However, the Chinese regulator saw no violations and sided with the local company in this matter.
According to Apple, the Chinese company “maliciously copied” its trademark, which could have a negative impact on society by misleading people. It is indicated that MatePods is consonant with the names of many “Apple” products, such as iPod, EarPods, AirPods and others.
However, the National Intellectual Property Administration of China (CNIPA) felt that Apple did not provide enough evidence to indicate copying by HUAWEI. At the same time, the department recognized the similarities between the companies in terms of the functionality of their products, sales channels and even the target audience.
“The spelling of trademarks is different. There are also differences in pronunciation and appearance. Consequently, the trademarks of the two companies are not the same trademarks on the same products, so their coexistence will not cause confusion among consumers, ”says the CNIPA report.
Neither Apple nor HUAWEI commented on this situation.