ALBAWABA - Chinese car manufacturer Build Your Dreams (BYD) had its Dutch offices raided by bailiffs acting on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) due to intellectual breaches involving the popular Land Rover Defender model.
Court bailiffs seized digital records from the offices of BYD in August in preparation for a court case between the car makers over potential copyright infringement by BYD on the Land Rover Defender.
The case against BYD is set to be argued in court this week to determine whether BYD's Ti7 SUV infringes the intellectual property of the Land Rover Defender or not.
Car experts, as well as BBC’s Top Gear, have called BYD’s Ti7 a “Chinese Defender clone” due to its significant resemblance to Land Rover’s flagship model;
Despite this, BYD is set to launch its “clone” in the UK market in January at a price of £47,995 ($64,256) undercutting the Defender by more than £20,000 ($26,700).
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has raided rival BYD’s Dutch offices, seizing documents as part of an escalating legal battle – accusing Chinese automotive giant of copying the design of its iconic Defender. The upcoming BYD Ti7 PHEV is frequently dubbed "China’s answer to the Defender." https://t.co/Y23vcuPUPf
BYD describes the model’s look on its website as “an unapologetically boxy profile delivers the imposing, chunky design that finds favor among SUV buyers, yet delivers a contemporary look”.
The raid took place at the behest of Land Rover to secure BYD’s digital records before they could be destroyed as Land Rover suspects BYD reverse-engineered some of its technology to be used in the Ti7.
Land Rover and BYD declined to comment on the “ongoing legal proceedings”.
Pshemaf Choiaqo is a digital marketer with a passion for media, style, and presentation.
He enjoys researching unorthodox and nonconventional subjects almost as much as he enjoys writing about them.
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