[v12]

Mar. 31--BEIJING - Honda Motor Co. has sued China's Shuanghuan Automobile Co., saying it copied the design of Honda's CR-V sport utility vehicle (SUV), which it plans to produce in China with a local partner, a Chinese paper reported Tuesday.

Honda asked a Beijing court last November to order the Chinese automaker based in Shijiazhuang city in Hubei Province to stop infringing on its right to the design of the CR-V SUV, the Beijing Times said.

Earlier, Honda set up a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corp. to manufacture the CR-Vs in China. The venture plans to start production during the first half of this year at a plant in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Honda plans to price the CR-V at 300,000 yuan, but Shuanghuan Automobile has given its own SUV a price of only 90,000 yuan, according to the paper.

Honda has been following the strategy of trying to catch up with U.S. and European carmakers in the Chinese market on the strength of the CR-Vs and Accord cars it has been assembling with another Chinese ally, Guangzhou Auto Group Corp.

The newspaper reported that Honda noticed last September that Shuanghuan Automobile is advertising an SUV whose design is almost identical to that of its own CR-V.

Honda demanded Shuanghuan stop infringing on its right to the CR-V design, but the Chinese automaker rejected the demand leading Honda to file suit with the high court.

Honda Motor Co. has sued China's Shuanghuan Automobile Co., saying it copied the design of Honda's CR-V sport utility vehicle (SUV), which it plans to produce in China with a local partner, a Chinese paper reported Tuesday.

Honda asked a Beijing court last November to order the Chinese automaker based in Shijiazhuang city in Hubei Province to stop infringing on its right to the design of the CR-V SUV, the Beijing Times said.

Earlier, Honda set up a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corp. to manufacture the CR-Vs in China. The venture plans to start production during the first half of this year at a plant in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Honda plans to price the CR-V at 300,000 yuan, but Shuanghuan Automobile has given its own SUV a price of only 90,000 yuan, according to the paper.

Honda has been following the strategy of trying to catch up with U.S. and European carmakers in the Chinese market on the strength of the CR-Vs and Accord cars it has been assembling with another Chinese ally, Guangzhou Auto Group Corp.

The newspaper reported that Honda noticed last September that Shuanghuan Automobile is advertising an SUV whose design is almost identical to that of its own CR-V.

Honda demanded Shuanghuan stop infringing on its right to the CR-V design, but the Chinese automaker rejected the demand leading Honda to file suit with the high court.

Source :The Miami Herald

[v12]

Now wud u call this SRV a 1/2 Audi.

[GTO]

This is outright fraud...a case of blatant cheating! Just look at the copied design....its a xerox. I am darned surprised that such things are happening in todays networked day and age.

Manufacturers worldwide have add terrible issues with China, since piracy is the name of the game in almost every business out there. Buttttttttttttttttt verdicts in the courts are reached really fast (unlike their Indian counterparts) and in general, the judgement delivered is fair.

Hope Honda can shut these copycats down for good

[ajmat]

Similar case with the Matiz in China. Since India respects intellectual property, you'll find that the world will prefer to deal with us in the long run.

[Dippy]

Honda CRV and this RV .. Now I've seen everything... Honda have done the right thing by fighting for this and I'm sure the'yll get justice... Now what happened to the case Jaguar and Mercedes filed on Hyundai?

Cheers

[Revvmaster]

Well GTO, even if the verdicts are fast, the problems with copyright and TM infrigements in China still continue. And all of this Government supported

Remember, China never had the technology and expertise to develop high-tech goods. Since it wants to capture a major part of the world trade, it asks MNCs to share their technology and know-how with local manufacturers. For each technology, Chinese Government designates certain companies with which MNCs have to share their know-how. MNCs, even though want to avoid them cant ignore the sales factor in China and succumb to such moves. To give you an example, China recently asked all Wi-fi developing cos. (which are MNCs since they have the tech) to share their technology and expertise with 21 cos. designated by the govt. Though the wi-fi companies have cried foul over the move. the huge market that China is also cant be ignored. The point of contention with the wi-fi cos. is that China might then perfect this technology and then sell it in markets abroad at dirt-cheap prices. And this fear is not confounded.

Revvmaster

[v12]

Chinese companies have even copied bikes and mopeds. I guess its a first time that someone has copied Indian companies. There are so many Bajaj/Hero Honda lookalikes in China. Sold at throwaway prices. And they were even planning to sell them in India. Obviously at throwaway prices. Arent there any copyright laws in China?? I mean many companies register their designs [do they] throughout the world. Isnt China included [or any communist country] included?

[Aditya]

Very good. Hyundai should get a walloping too from Jaguar and Mercedes.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (v12 @ April 03 2004,22:43)]Arent there any copyright laws in China?? I mean many companies register their designs [do they] throughout the world. Isnt China included [or any communist country] included?

I guess there are copyright laws in China, BUT

I'm not a 100% sure about this, but I have been told that there is no such thing as a "worldwide" patent. Products patent laws are only applicable in the country in which the patent was filed.

R

[Revvmaster]

Thats why Rehaan the WTO norms come in effect from 05-06. From thereon, copying anything from an MNC wud become close to impossible, cuz the co. gets worldwide patent protection.

Revv

[Rehaan]

Wow......thats great news Revv.
I have always been concerned about patents and especially since im doing industrial design.

thnx,
Rehaan

[aadix]

hey guys, hows the quality of this car , lhs or rhs???
can we import this one to india??
how much overall in indian rupees??

[aadix]

sorry didnt see the pic of v12

guys , all of you are blaming the chinese guy, but think of one point, a chinese car maker makes a good copy of japenese car along with almost similar levels of refinment(from the pics) for less than 1/3 rd the price!!!!!!
think how much the -japenese guys are robbing people
the only diff here might be in the engine area
but i am sure v12 or gto can fill up this point, think abt it guys!
and one another thing what happened with gto would never happen if it were a copy guy's dealer(ie he made a copy of the japenese sedan) coz he would get more customers with the word of mouth comments of the customer,
if it were a japanese guy's dealer then it would like, u go i will get 10 more!

dis-clmair: this is an generic assumption, and not directed towards any certain car manufacturer.

[ajmat]

am amazed at the speed that they got this into production. Cnnot comment on the finish and the powertrain though

[v12]

hey aadix, even it was offered at 1/2 the price in India or anywhere in the world, i'm sure no one wud buy it. Chinese stuff [be it the cheap 20 bucks radio or a 1 lakh car] are just use n throw stuff. They dont have 1 bit of quality in them. They are CHEAP becos they use cheap quality.
Jap cars are expensive becos they provide quality and reliablity. Overall Quality and Reliability. Japanese engines are the most reliable engines in the world.

P.S. Shuanghuan Automobiles use either a Toyota/Ford engine. But I have no idea what the SRV uses.