China bans copycat Range Rover Evoque SUVs, handing a rare victory to foreign carmakers as trademark becomes a trade issue
- A Beijing court has ordered Jiangling Motors to immediately stop making and selling the Landwind X7 sports utility vehicle (SUV)
- The Landwind X7 had copied five unique features from the Range Rover Evoque SUV, the court concluded
A Chinese copycat of the Range Rover Evoque has been banished from forecourts in China, a rare legal victory for foreign companies locked in intellectual property disputes with local firms.
A court in Beijing ordered Jiangling Motors to immediately stop making and selling the Landwind X7 after finding it copied five unique features from the Evoque, manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover Automotive said in a statement Friday.
The Beijing Chaoyang District Court also ruled that Jaguar Land Rover be paid compensation, the company said, without giving an amount. A representative for Jiangling had no immediate comment.
China’s treatment of foreign intellectual property has been a key component of trade talks with the US, which is sending negotiators to Beijing for another round of discussions this week. Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group, had accused Jiangling of a “copy-and-paste” job after the Landwind was unveiled in 2014.
Infographics: Global automakers and their joint-venture partners in China
Jaguar Land Rover said Friday’s court decision was the “first such case to support a foreign company in the car industry” and would strengthen its confidence in investing in China.