NEW TROUBLES: China’s importance as a major consumer market is bringing fresh headaches for companies, and even celebrities, seeking to protect and claim brand names. That’s apart from the usual problems with piracy and other infringements.
THE CURRENT DISPUTE: Apple is battling a Chinese company over rights to the iPad name in China.
EASY REGISTRATION: The craze for grabbing trademarks is not confined to China. But under China’s trademark system, legal experts say, squatters find it easy to claim trademarks they have no intention of using, and then demand that would-be users pay up.