Chinese Authors Accuse Apple of Copyright Infringement, Ask $8M in Compensation

Apple is no stranger to infringement lawsuits, having been on both the accusing and receiving end of such. In China, while Apple battles for its legal use of the “iPad” name, it has come under fire from another party, this time a group of writers.

According to the Xinhua news agency, a group of authors from China, including best-selling author Han Han, has filed for a 50 million yuan (US$ 7.9 million) claim against Cupertino, CA-based Apple for selling unlicensed copies of about 95 books. The group alleges that electronic copies of books are being sold via the Apple iTunes store, and that Apple has been slow to respond to the takedown request.

Apple’s App Store offers about half a million apps to 123 countries worldwide, which include games, productivity apps, navigation guides, content, and the like. But while Apple has a stringent review process for apps and content, the writers in this latest intellectual-property dispute say the company has allowed their content to be sold without their permission. Apple has been accused of being too slow in removing the pirated content, says Xinhua.

The Chinese writers have yet to receive a formal response from Apple. In a statement to AFP, though, Apple spokesperson Carolyn Wu says it’s the company’s policy to respond to complaints promptly. “As an IP holder ourselves, we understand the importance of protecting intellectual property and when we receive complaints, we respond promptly and appropriately,” she says.

Meanwhile, also in China, Apple is under fire from Proview Technologies, which claims it still owns the trademark to the brand “IPAD” in the country, and seeks to ban the sale of Apple’s popular iPad tablet in the country, as well as seek financial remuneration for the alleged intellectual property infringement.

Via MSN Money

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