Apple Faces Trademark Battle to Use ‘Vision Pro’ Name in China

Apple may be forced to change the name of its new mixed reality headset in China unless it can come to an agreement with Huawei, which already owns the “Vision Pro” trademark in the country.

Originally spotted by MyDrivers, the trademark was originally granted to Huawei on May 16, 2019, and gives the company exclusive rights to its use in China from November 28, 2021 to November 27, 2031.

Huawei actively uses the trademark in China, and offers a number of products under the Vision name, including smart TVs and smart glasses. If Apple intends to sell its headset in China and call it Vision Pro, it may have to enter into negotiations with Huawei to release the trademark for a price.

It would not be the first time Apple has had to pay a Chinese company to use a product name. Apple in 2012 paid Proview Technology $60 million for the rights to the “iPad” trademark in China. The payment followed several court cases in which Apple unsuccessfully argued that it had already acquired the rights for the name as part of a deal with Proview’s Taiwanese arm.

Huawei “Vision Pro” trademark documents (Source: MyDrivers)

Apple has said it plans to launch the Vision Pro headset in the United States early next year, with the product set to become available in “more countries” later in 2023.