Chinese patent office: Apple counterfeited iPhone 6 and 6 Plus from Baili 100C

The patent office of the Chinese capital Beijing judges that the design of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is too similar to that of the Baili 100C. According to Chinese law, Apple should therefore stop selling the smartphones. The American company has gone to court.

Because Apple is challenging the patent office’s ruling in court, the ban on sales that would apply in Beijing has not taken effect. The iPhone maker states that there are indeed differences between the design of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus and the Baili 100C, which the Chinese approval authority Tenaa approved in April 2014, six months before Apple announced the iPhone 6 series.

Baili filed a complaint with the Chinese patent office in early May, which ruled on May 10 that the design of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is too similar to that of the Baili smartphone. Consumers would therefore not be able to see the difference. According to Chinese law, Zhongfu Telecom, the importer of iPhones in China, should therefore stop selling the Apple smartphones.

The relevant patent describes the design of the Chinese smartphone. Reporting about the case was started on Wednesday by the Beijing Morning Post. According to China.cn, a portal of the Chinese government, the lawsuit has been initiated and a subpoena has been sent to the patent office. An Apple spokesperson said in a response to Forbes that he would not comment on pending lawsuits. The Chinese iPhone distributor declined to comment.

If the court upholds the patent office’s ruling, the Chinese iPhone importer should stop selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in Beijing. While this would not immediately lead to a nationwide ban on sales, the ruling could serve as a reference for other regions. If Apple and Zhongfu lose the case initially, the iPhone maker and importer can appeal again, a Chinese lawyer tells the website.