The Chinese courts might have taken their sweet time, but they’ve finally decided: ‘Landwind’ is copying Land Rover, and it’s about time the practice comes to a halt.
According to the decision issued by the Beijing Chaoyang District Court, Jiangling Holdings Co.’s Landwind directly copied features from the Range Rover Evoque and incorporated them into its X7 SUV.
This, the court says, has led to “widespread consumer confusion,” and the Chinese manufacturer must stop all Landwind X7 sales, manufacturing, and marketing immediately. It has also ordered the company to pay Jaguar Land Rover compensation.
“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,” Jaguar Land Rover global head of legal Keith Benjamin said in a statement.
“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,” Benjamin added.
According to Jaguar Land Rover, this is the first time such a case has prospered in the People’s Republic of China. Hopefully, this serves as a warning for other copy car manufacturers in the Chinese automotive industry.
