Jaguar Land Rover Sues A Chinese Automaker for Copying

Reuters has learned from a source that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is suing Chinese automaker Jiangling Motor for copying the design of the Range Rover Evoque for one of their vehicles, the Landwind X7 - see the video below. If you were to compare the designs of both vehicles, they are very similar with a sloping roof and tapered windows. The X7 costs a third of the price of an Evoque according to Yale Zhang, managing director of Automotive Foresight.

When reached for comment, a JLR spokesman told Reuters that it "served Jiangling with newly filed actions surrounding copyright and unfair competition." A spokesman for Landwind declined to comment.

JLR already has an injunction against Jiangling from selling the Landwind X7 in Brazil, where it has begun to sell vehicles.

Wait, why hasn't other foreign automakers taken Chinese automakers to court?

There are a couple of reasons. First, suing a Chinese automaker could be bad for their brand image. If a foreign automaker took a Chinese one to court, the public could think that the foreign company is bullying their home brand. Second, many automakers believe the odds of getting a judgment in their favor is very low.

Pic Credit: Land Rover