Jaguar Land Rover has won a long-standing court case in China against the firm that produces a copycat version of the Range Rover Evoque.
The Landwind X7, which is only sold in China, has become notorious worldwide for being a near-replica of the popular British SUV.
China is well-known for creating copycat vehicles of Western-designed vehicles, but local law has traditionally made it hard for the makers of the original models to stop the practice.
Jaguar Land Rover described its win in the unfair competition case as a “first in the global car industry”.
The case has been underway for more than three years, having begun after the Landwind X7 was unveiled at the 2015 Guangzhou motor show.
In China, the doppelgänger is priced at the equivalent of around £14,000 – significantly less than the £40,000-plus of the locally produced Evoque.
The decision issued by the Beijing Chaoyang District Court ruled that the Evoque has five unique features that were copied directly in the X7 built by Landwind, which is owned by Jiangling Motor Holding (JMH), and that the similarity of the two vehicles has led to widespread consumer confusion.
The court determined that all sales, manufacturing and marketing of the X7 must stop immediately. The court also demanded that Jaguar Land Rover be paid compensation.
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.”
The second-generation Evoque, already unveiled in the UK, will make its Chinese debut at the Shanghai motor show in April.
Landwind is owned by Jiangling Motor Holding (JMH), which is a joint venture between Jiangling Motors Corporation Group (JMCG) and Changan Automobile. JMH is also the largest shareholder in the separate Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) firm.
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Gallery: history of the Chinese copycat
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Something like this was bound to happen soon
It was fairly clear that as soon as China had products worth copying they would start enforcing these rules. The Chinese now have a number of world class companies, either home grown or purchased. They are now or very soon will be more valuable to China than the copycats. Additionally a case like this might help ease the pressure from Trump & co for fairer trading relations.
What I don't get...
...is why they would copy existing models? A number of automakers have display near ready Concept vehicles that they never intended to put into production. Copy them! A few years ago Lambo had that beautiful four door sedan and later a gorges 2+2 concept, and each went no where. Acura/Honda did that wonderful Precision concept a few years ago, and has yet done nothing with it! Chinese quality and vehicle manufacturering is getting better all the time, but some of their styling may not yet be completely to western tastes. But if an company was looking to branch out and was confident that their 'bellow the surface' engineering could cut the mustered, why would they copy vehicles that are already for sale when they could product them the near road ready Concepts that the original designers won't?
It's not a copy.
If I were a lawyer, I'd have argued the cheap Chinese product couldnt be concidered a copycat as it's much more reliable.
Go away - The X7 if far more
Go away - The X7 if far more dangerours that then Evoque with substandard underpinnings, less than reliable engines, and as for Electrics, for get it, if you think you will get a quality car for £14k then i suggest you take your family out in it and see how many survive in a crash, and this cobblers about reliability, it mainly comes from idiots that have never owned, driven or even sat on any of their products, we have owned JLR cars for decades and never had any issues, the same as the rest of our family - Jingle bells will not appeal, as they are now TOLD to stop, if they go against the courts (government) then they might as well shut up shop, there WILL be a significant payout, the legal action will be in excess of $50m, the damage to reputation, the infringement of IP, could end up costing Jingle Bells well inexcess of $100 million, and NO, there was no back hand deal for more production for the removal of the copycat, JLR had already agreed to palnt 2 and 3 in China, and a battery plant, they will be investing over a Billion in Chin and the Asia Pacific over the next few years.Especially as the i-Pace is outselling virtually everything else, and the new all electric car will carry that on, before the 3rd car comes on stream, both within the next few years.
jonboy4969 wrote:
14k can buy you a car of considerably better quality than anything JLR can currently build, it depends on how you measure quality.
Facts hurt.
Don't argue with us, argue with those indi surveys that consistantly place JLR near bottom or rock bottom of reliability surveys, surveys that are compliled by JLR owners.
The magazine you are currently reading - Haymarket, produced it's latest reliability survey 30th Nov, 2018.
Out of the 25 SUV's in the 'Large and Luxury' section, the highest placed JLR product came 16th (Discovery), F-Pace was 17th, Range Rover Sport 21st, Discovery sport 22nd, the Evoque came 3rd from bottom in 23rd place and Range Rover came rock bottom.
Facts hurt eh?