Apple has won an appeal against an attempt by Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi to register the 'Mi Pad' trademark in Europe. The General Court of the EU found that the name is too similar to Apple's own iPad trademark.
Xiaomi filed for the trademark in 2014 with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, and the EUIPO upheld a challenge to the registration of Xiaomi's trademark from Apple in 2016. Xiaomi appealed to the General Court, which agreed with the EUIPO's decision. Adding just the letter 'm' to the name was not enough to prevent confusion with Apple's product, the court said.
Xiaomi uses the name Mi Pad for its tablet range. The case is a setback for the Chinese company's expansion in Europe, where it has started in the past year selling its devices directly to consumers.
