In a first for the global car industry, Jaguar Land Rover has won a landmark case in the Chinese courts against the company that produced a copy of the best-selling Range Rover Evoque.
The decision issued by the Beijing Chaoyang District Court decreed that the Evoque has five unique features that were copied directly in the Landwind X7 (pictured below) built by Jiangling Motor Corporation 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 Landwind vehicle must cease immediately. The Court has also ruled that Jaguar Land Rover be paid compensation.
Keith Benjamin, Jaguar Land Rover 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 latest generation of the Range Rover Evoque was launched in London in November 2018. With its new body style, vehicle architecture, emissions reduction technologies including hybrid-electric, and design features such as deploying door handles, the latest Range Rover is intended to be a sophisticated evolution of the original model. The new Range Rover Evoque will be launched in China at the Shanghai Motor Show in April 2019.
