China iPhone sales maintained pending patent appeal: Apple

WASHINGTON, USA: Apple said it continues to sell its iPhones in China pending an appeal of a ruling which said the smartphones violated a patent of a Chinese manufacturer.

An Apple spokesman said in a statement to AFP that "iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as well as iPhone 6s, iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone SE models are all available for sale today in China."

"We appealed an administrative order from a regional patent tribunal in Beijing last month and as a result the order has been stayed pending review by the Beijing IP Court," the statement said.

The ruling on 19 May 2016 said Apple violated design patents of Chinese maker Shenzhen Baili for its iPhone6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and would be barred from selling those models.

The news comes with China an increasingly important market for Apple as it deals with a slowdown in global smartphone sales.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge