Apple’s newly launched mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, may potentially face a trademark battle with China’s tech giant Huawei.
According to China’s National Intellectual Property Administration and China Trademark Network, Huawei applied for the “Vision Pro” trademark four years ahead of Apple on May 16, 2019. The trademark was officially announced on November 27, 2021, granting 10 years of exclusive rights from November 28, 2021 to November 27, 2031.
Given that Apple’s latest product bears the same name, Huawei’s trademark could force Apple to rebrand its Vision Pro headset for the Chinese market. Otherwise, they may potentially infringe upon Huawei’s existing rights.
As for Huawei’s registration of the “Vision Pro” trademark, it appears not to be directly related to Apple but rather tied to two of its prominent product lines: the Huawei Vision Glass smart viewing glasses and the Huawei Vision smart screen series. So far, Huawei has not made any official announcements regarding the development or release of its mixed reality (MR) headset products.
Nevertheless, the looming trademark dispute between Apple and Huawei in China poses a significant hurdle for the upcoming launch of Apple’s Vision Pro headset in China. To steer clear of any infringement on Huawei’s trademark rights, Apple currently finds itself at a crossroads: either adopting an alternative name for the device in the Chinese market or entering into negotiations with Huawei to secure the required permission to use the “Vision Pro” name.
At present, the specifics of any negotiations or alternative names remain undisclosed, leaving the resolution of this trademark uncertain and the outcome between the two companies unknown.
