Jaguar Land Rover and BYD Face Court Showdown Over Alleged Design Infringement

Court-ordered bailiffs acting on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover seized digital records from the Dutch offices of Chinese carmaker BYD in Schiedam and Hoofddorp during the month of August. The action preceded a scheduled court case in The Hague to determine whether BYD's Ti7 sport utility vehicle infringes the intellectual property rights of the Land Rover Defender.

Motoring experts and media publications have compared the seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV to the Defender since its release in China in September of the previous year. BYD plans to introduce the vehicle to the United Kingdom market in January at a starting price of £47,995, which undercuts the Land Rover Defender 110 by more than £20,000.

According to reporting by the Sunday Times, JLR suspected that BYD may have reverse-engineered technology intended for use in the Ti7 and sought to secure digital files prior to any potential destruction. Representatives for both JLR and BYD declined to provide statements regarding the ongoing legal proceedings.

This dispute follows previous legal actions by JLR concerning similar design allegations involving Chinese manufacturers. In 2019, JLR successfully concluded a three-year court battle to halt the sale of a copycat vehicle by Jiangling Motor Corporation. Simultaneously, JLR has pursued partnerships in the region, including a 2012 joint venture agreement with Chery that involved licensing the discontinued Freelander brand.

Sales data indicates that JLR sold 29,500 Defender models to retail customers globally between July and September, compared to 25,370 during the same period in the previous year. Meanwhile, third-quarter sales for the Range Rover decreased to 43,300 vehicles from 47,196 vehicles year-on-year.