Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re going broke, look for reasons to sue rich people. That seems to be the strategy behind a Taiwanese company’s threat to take legal action against Apple.

Struggling Taiwanese company Proview told Financial Times that it plans to sue Apple over infringement of the trademark “iPad.” Proview over a decade ago made an unsuccessful attempt to sell a tablet computer called I-Pad, according to FT, and the company had registered for the IPAD trademark between 2000 and 2004.

Apple does not comment on pending litigation.

Trademark feuds are common among the tech industry. Large corporations, including Apple, aggressively defend trademarks to prevent competitors from profiting off their successful brands or creating consumer confusion. For example, Apple has been battling a small startup over usage of the trademark “Pod,” and Facebook recently filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against startup Teachbook over the use of the word “book.”

In Proview’s case, however, it doesn’t have much to protect. The company admits it just needs some dough.

“It is arrogant of Apple to just ignore our rights and go ahead selling the iPad in this market, and we will oppose that,” said Yang Rongshan, Proview’s chairman. “Besides that, we are in big financial trouble and the trademarks are a valuable asset that could help us sort out part of that trouble.”

See Also:

• Apple, Startup Go to Trial Over Pod Trademark
• Appeals Court Sides With eBay in Tiffany Trademark Suit
• Teachbook Vows Facebook Trademark Suit Fight
• GM Wants to Trademark 'Range Anxiety'
• Apple Registers Trademark for 'There's an App for That'

Photo of customers buying Apple iPads: Bryan Derballa/Wired.com