Apple faces another setback in China as regulator blocks iPhone 6 sales in Beijing
A Chinese regulator has ordered Apple Inc. to pull two versions of its iPhone 6 in Beijing after a Chinese regulator deemed the models too similar to a competitor's product.
Apple iPhone 6
Shenzhen Beili, a small Chinese handset maker brought up a patent dispute in court claiming the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus look too much like its 100C model.
Last month Beijing's Intellectual Property Office ruled against Apple and have ordered the tech giant to suspend sales of its products in Beijing.
However, Apple has said a Beijing court stayed the administrative order on appeal and its sales will continue for now.
Apple shares fell 2.3 per cent after the news emerged, Sky News reports.
In recent days Apple has been rocked by a succession of bad news stories from China, its second-biggest global market, where it has reported a plunge in sales of 26 per cent in its latest earnings report. The firm is also battling to comply with new legislation mandating that all content shown in China must be stored on servers located on the Chinese mainland.
This has forced Apple to temporarily deactivate its iTunes and iBooks services whilst it builds capacity. The company said it hoped to resume service soon.
In May, Apple lost an iPhone trademark dispute with a Chinese leather goods manufacturer after a Beijing Court ruled that Xintong Tiandi Technology could continue to use the disputed name on its range of handbags, phone cases and wallets.