Copyright infringement lawsuit
A few days back we reported a Chinese company, Baili Services pursuing a copyright infringement lawsuit against Apple in Beijing’s Intellectual Property Office. According to the latest reports, Shenzhen Baili is virtually nonexistent.
The Wall Street Journal investigated the company Shenzhen Baili and its parent Digione. They found out both the parent company and Baili services has collapsed. According to the former employees and investors, the company was “brought down by buggy products, mismanagement, and fierce competition.” Digione has not launched a new product in the Chinese mobile market for nearly a year.
According to the Wall Street Journal “Phone calls to the company, Shenzhen Baili Marketing Services Co., ring unanswered. Its websites have been deleted. Visits to its three registered addresses found no company offices.
Baili and its parent, Digione, are part of a rapid boom and bust in China’s new wave of smartphone makers. When Baili took on Apple in December 2014, telling Chinese regulators that the Cupertino, Calif., company’s new models infringed on its smartphone design patents, it had bold aspirations, a big-name investor in Chinese internet giant Baidu Inc. and a team of experienced executives.”
Digione Lawyer Andy Yang said that the company will continue the legal battle with Apple over copyright infringement. He also added that the company “is still operational in its necessary functions”. Shenzhen Baili had filed the copyright infringement claim back in December 2014. However, it reached the Beijing Court system just a few days back.
The company remains adamant to take forward the legal battle against Apple. However, financial reports of both Shenzen Baili and Digione reveal that the companies are bankrupt. According to former employees, the lawsuit against Apple was “always more a marketing ploy than a serious court case.”
Apple has confirmed that after administrative order appeal from a regional patent tribunal in Beijing last month sale of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus continues in China.