While imitation is said to be the greatest form of flattery, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) was not happy when a Chinese carmaker introduced the Landwind X7 which is essentially a copy of JLR’s successful Range Rover Evoque.
Since the Landwind X7’s debut at the 2015 Guangzhou Motor Show, JLR has filed a case against the Chinese firm for its doppelganger which was priced between RMB100k (RM64k) to RMB129k (RM83k), significantly undercutting the Evoque’s RMB350k+ (RM212k) sticker price in China.
According to AutoCar UK, Beijing Chaoyang District Court ruled that the Landwind X7 (had to specify Landwind repeatedly to not be confused with the BMW X7) copied five unique features of the Evoque and the similarities between the two vehicles has confused consumers.
The court also ruled that all manufacturing, sales and marketing activities of the Landwind X7 must stop immediately and also demanded that Landwind to compensate JLR.
Pre-facelift Landwind X7
Keith Benjamin, Jaguar Land Rover’s global head of legal, said: “We welcome this decision of the Beijing Court, which further strengthens our confidence in investing in China and in the fairness of intellectual property adjudication in the Chinese courts. This ruling is a clear sign of the law being implemented appropriately to protect consumers and uphold their rights so that they are not confused or misled, whilst protecting business investment in design and innovation.”
JLR described the court ruling as a “first in the global car industry”. Now, will Porsche take legal action against the “Porsche Macan Hybrid” in China?
