A small Chinese manufacturer has accused Apple of stealing design language, which has resulted in banning sale of iPhone 6s and 6 Plus in Beijing.
The rather random company is called 100+, the firm claims Apple copied the design of its ‘100c’ smartphone. Looking at the 100c and iPhone 6, you can see the similarities with the chamfered edges and camera sensor.
Apple are under fire as the small company has managed to get the Beijing Intellectual Property Office to take notice. An order has been made by the regulatory body to cease the sale of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. What is strange is the order did not include the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus despite the heavy resemblances.
iPhone 6s will remain on sale in Beijing
The regulatory body said consumers won’t be able to tell the small differences between the iPhone 6 and 100c. Yes, really. Apple has a 20 percent market share in China, making it one of the best known brands in the far east, yet the rather patronising ruling has been made.
Apple countered by initiating an administrative litigation to reverse the ban. It’s an appeal that will be investigated, which Apple hoped would allow it to continue selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus until a verdict is reached.
Apple said in a statement: “iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as well as iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE models are all available for sale today in China. 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.”
Legal wrangling between manufacturers is nothing new, particularly to Apple, who had a lawsuit against Samsung thrown out in the US, for copyright infringement. Apple claimed Samsung stole the slide to unlock feature.
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