iPhone 6 still sold in China after Apple makes appeal over patent case

APPLE’s iPhone 6 models can still be bought in China after the Beijing Intellectual Property Court accepted an appeal by Apple to review an order to halt sales of the smartphones.

The appeal came after reports last week that a regulator in Beijing found the design of the iconic Apple product to closely resemble a phone from a Chinese competitor.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Office ordered Apple and a re-seller of its products in Beijing, Beijing Zoomflight Communication Equipment Co, to stop selling the two iPhone models after it found they infringed upon the rights of a Shenzhen-based company, according to China.org.cn.

However, an official from Apple said the iPhone, iPhone 6 Plus, as well as iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE models are still readily available for sale in the country today.

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“We appealed an administrative order from a regional patent tribunal in Beijing last month, and as a result the order has been stayed pending review by the Beijing IP Court,” the Apple spokesman said, as quoted by the AFP.

The ruling by an intellectual property tribunal is the latest legal stumbling block for Apple in its second-biggest global market following the suspension of its iTunes movie service in April.

The company also faces rising competition from local brands including Huawei and Xiaomi, which have gained market share.

The order by the Beijing tribunal said the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus looked too much like the 100C model made by Shenzhen Beili, a small Chinese brand.

The order was issued in May but reports started surfacing this week by the Chinese press.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

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