Editor's note: Influential events in 2012 continue to shape the intellectual property industry and improve awareness, Zhang Zhao and Hao Nan report:

iPad trademark dispute

International electronics giant Apple Inc paid $60 million to Shenzhen-based Proview Technology in a court-mediated settlement that took effect on June 25, 2012, finally acquiring the iPad trademark on the Chinese mainland and putting to rest a two-year legal dispute over the name.