Fake Range Rovers banished from China\, copycat automaker fined

Fake Range Rovers banished from China, copycat automaker fined

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

Bloomberg News 

Jaguar, Range Rover Velar
Jaguar's Range Rover Velar. (Photo courtesy: Jaguar)

A Chinese court ordered a local carmaker to stop selling a copycat version of the Evoque in China, a rare legal victory for foreign locked in intellectual property disputes with local firms.

The Beijing court also ordered Motors Corp. to immediately stop making the Landwind X7 after finding it copied five unique features from the Evoque, manufacturer Automotive Plc said in a statement Friday.

The Beijing Chaoyang District Court also ruled that be paid compensation, the company said, without giving an amount. A representative for had no immediate comment.

China’s treatment of foreign intellectual property has been a key component of trade talks with the U.S., which is sending negotiators to Beijing for another round of discussions this week. Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group, had accused of a “copy-and-paste” job after the Landwind was unveiled in 2014.

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

Overseas carmakers including Honda Motor Co. and Automobil Holding SE have long complained their designs have been knocked off by Chinese rivals. Honda failed in a Chinese lawsuit in 2004 after accusing Shuanghuan Auto of copying the CR-V model.

The same year, Honda won a court ruling stopping a Chinese company from selling Hongda brand motorbikes.

First Published: Mon, March 25 2019. 12:06 IST