The lawsuit is considered a rare move since global automakers are convinced that the odds of winning against Chinese automakers in local courts are low despite the glaring copying. Then there's also the matter of turning the local public against the brand if they believe that the foreign company is bullying domestic automakers.
The Landwind X7 SUV was unveiled in 2014 and immediately received flak for its likeness to the Evoque. Everything, from the car's hood, to its head-lamps, side grilles, and rear-bumper, look eerily similar to that of the Evoque. The Chinese copy only costs nearly a third of the price of the Evoque.
LandWind X7
The Reuters report states that a JLR spokesman said emailed comments that a court in Beijing's eastern Chaoyang district "served Jiangling with newly filed actions surrounding copyright and unfair competition." The lawsuit is in reference to Jiangling's Landwind X7 SUV which seems to copy the design of the Land Rover Evoque. Interestingly, the Evoque is the British carmaker's first locally-made product of its joint venture with Chinese manufacturer Chery.
There is little doubt that this may turn out to be a long-drawn battle between the two, much like it was for Honda Motor. According to a report by the official Xinhua news agency and confirmed by a Honda spokesman, it took Honda 12 years to win a case in China against a local automaker for imitating the CR-V SUV.
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