Proview is misleading China's judicial officials and customers, claimed Apple Inc in an announcement about its trademark dispute with the Shenzhen-based company on Tuesday.

Although a court hasn't yet reached a decision, some local governments have already started to confiscate Apple's iPads.

"Proview is misleading Chinese courts and customers with claims that the iPad trademarks cannot be transferred, or that mistakes were made in handling the transaction." Apple said.

"The managers of Proview Shenzhen were well aware of what they were doing and insisted on selling the trademarks through an affiliate company, Proview Taiwan. While Apple didn't know the reasons at the time, Proview clearly made that arrangement so they wouldn't have to give the money to their creditors on the Chinese mainland," said the US-based company.

Apple added that it respects Chinese laws and regulations. As a company that generates a lot of intellectual property, it would never knowingly abuse someone else's trademark, it said.

The Guangdong Provincial High People's Court is still handling the trademark dispute.

Apple said that its representatives approached Proview Shenzhen in 2009 and negotiated to acquire the rights to the iPad name including 10 trademarks, two of which are registered on the Chinese mainland.

The Chinese company still claims it owns the rights to the iPad trademark on the Chinese mainland.