Apple has had its fair share of troubles with the Chinese government over the years, with one of the biggest ones resulting in a ban on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. In what should be a massive relief for the brand, that particular decision has now been reversed by a Beijing court.
To recap, the Beijing Intellectual Property Office was reviewing a case of patent infringement filed by Shenzhen Baili against Apple in May last year. The former accused the latter of ripping off the design of its 100cc smartphone (see above).
Even though the iPhone 6 barely resembled the phone, the authority ruled in favor of Baili and ordered all sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to halt immediately. Apple managed to get a stay on this ban pending a review by the Beijing Intellectual Property Court.
Also Read: Apple to begin manufacturing iPhone 6, 6S in India soon
The IP court has now quashed the decision of the bureau, noting that Apple has not infringed on Shenzhen Baili’s design patent. It stated that the iPhone 6 had features which completely changed the effect of the entire product, meaning that both devices are easily distinguishable by consumers.
This might not even have been an issue for Chinese customers since Baili has collapsed as a company in the country, failing to keep up with competition and inciting criticism for the inferior quality of its products. Reports following the initial ruling claimed that the brand barely exists and the entire thing was more of a case of patent trolling.