JLR Raids BYD Offices Over Alleged Defender Clone Intellectual Property Infringement

JLR Raids BYD Offices Over Alleged Defender Clone Intellectual Property Infringement

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Court bailiffs acting for Jaguar Land Rover seized digital records from Chinese carmaker BYD‘s Dutch offices in August ahead of an intellectual property court case in The Hague.

BYD Faces Intellectual Property Dispute over Ti7 SUV Design

  • Bailiffs seized digital records from BYD offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp in August, according to The Guardian.
  • The legal dispute centers on allegations that BYD’s Ti7 SUV infringes the intellectual property of the Land Rover Defender.
  • BYD plans to launch the vehicle in the UK market in January at £47,995, undercutting the starting price of the seven-seat Defender 110 by more than £20,000.

Bailiff Raids and Court Showdown in The Hague

Bailiffs acting on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover raided the Dutch offices of BYD in Schiedam and Hoofddorp in August, The Guardian reported. The action preceded a court case scheduled in The Hague this week. The legal proceedings will decide whether BYD has a case to answer over allegations that its Ti7 SUV infringes the intellectual property rights of the Land Rover Defender.

JLR suspected that BYD might reverse-engineer technology for use in the Ti7 and wanted to secure digital records before they could be destroyed, according to the Sunday Times report cited by The Guardian. Both JLR and BYD declined to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

Pricing and Market Positioning in the UK

Motoring experts have likened BYD’s seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV to the Defender since the vehicle went on sale in China in September of last year. BYD describes the vehicle on its website as having an unapologetically boxy profile that delivers an imposing design for SUV buyers. The company is scheduled to launch the vehicle in the UK market in January at a price of £47,995.

By comparison, the price of JLR’s seven-seat Defender 110 starts from £68,465. JLR, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, sold 29,500 Defenders to retail customers between July and September, up from 25,370 a year earlier. Meanwhile, JLR reported that sales of its Range Rover fell to 43,300 in the third quarter, down from 47,196 cars sold in the same period last year.

JLR Pursues Legal Action Against Chinese Copycat Vehicles

The current dispute is not the first time JLR has pursued a Chinese company over copycat allegations. JLR previously won a legal case to stop Jiangling Motor Corporation from selling a copycat vehicle in 2019 following a three-year court battle.

At the same time, JLR has pursued partnerships in China, forming a joint venture with Chery in 2012 that later included licensing its discontinued Freelander brand. Chery’s Jaecoo model, which operates outside the joint venture, has drawn marketplace comparisons to JLR vehicles.

The Jaecoo was the bestselling car in the UK in October with 10,813 registrations, increasing its market share from 2.07% to 4.30% according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Vehicle Model Manufacturer UK Starting Price Recent Sales / Registrations
Defender 110 Jaguar Land Rover £68,465 29,500 (Q3 retail)
Ti7 SUV BYD £47,995 Scheduled for January UK launch
Jaecoo Chery £10,000 less than Range Rover 10,813 (October UK)

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

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Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief

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