The Beijing Intellectual Property Office has today ruled against Apple in its latest patent dispute.
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The phones, which don’t really look that much alike at all, are apparently so similar, according to the ruling, that smartphone buyers can’t tell the difference.
There was no immediate comment from Apple following the announcement by Beijing’s Intellectual Property Office.
The court believes that the outer appearance of Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are so similar to the phone, 100C, produced by Shenzhen Baily, that it is hard for customers to differentiate between the two.
Check out the image of the 100c and tell us if you see any Apple iPhone 6 in it. But it is a further symbolic blow for the company in China.
According to a Chinese publication, “The court believes that the outer appearance of Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are so similar to the phone, 100C, produced by Shenzhen Baily, that it is hard for customers to differentiate between the two”. Its Apple’s iTunes Movies and iBooks Store have been banned and its iPhone sales have not been going well. Chinese state media have accused the company of poor customer service and warranties. And more recently it lost the right to exclusive use of the name iPhone.
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Apple last month announced a $1 billion investment in Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing Technology Co., an unusual investment for the company.
