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-   -   Bajaj Auto to sue TVS (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/28326-bajaj-auto-sue-tvs.html)

Country's second largest two- wheeler manufacturer, Bajaj Auto Ltd is planning to sue south Indian rival TVS Motor Co for 'infringing' upon intellectual property rights of its patented digital twin spark ignition (DTSi) technology.

Bajaj Auto's move to sue TVS comes two days after the Chennai-based company announced plans to roll out its latest 125 cc bike 'Flame' with Controlled Combustion Variable Timing Intelligent (CC-VTi) technology.

"This is a case of IPR infringement issue. Prima facie we have a strong case. While we have had Chinese companies infringing our patented technology, this is the first time a fellow Indian company is doing it to us," Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) CEO (Two-Wheelers) S Sridhar told.

Source: DNA

Do they have a patent? Or is it patent pending?

Who the hell gave bajaj a patent for putting twin spark plugs inside a combustion chamber?

From the report it looks like they have an Indian as well as World patent for small engines. Now I do not know how small is a "small engine". Has the potential to turn murky though.

Also, a patent is granted on a design. Now just twin plugs can not be patented. If the design is different but uses a twin plug to achieve the objective I do not think it should be an issue IMHO.

I find this at best funny. When everyone is aping someone, why should an ape call another ape an ape ? :)

Wah John...kya line mara...:)

I don't think they can patent something like dual spark plugs in internal combustion engines. It was prevalent before Bajaj omplemented DTSi. Maybe they have patented some way to integrate it in small engines ( maybe a mounting or something like that )
just my 2c

guys, check this wikipedia entry. It clearly mentions that Bajaj has NOT patented DTSi Bajaj Pulsar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now even more confused. According to the telegraph The Telegraph - Calcutta : Business bajaj has a patent number 195904

Didn't Bajaj steal all their scooter technology from Piaggio? By the time Piaggio found out Bajaj was too big and powerful. This is a case of pot calling the kettle black.

Samurai, did Bajaj steal this technology or was it a collaboration ? My earliest memories of a scooter are of a 'Vespa' made by Bajaj. It's a different story that the tie-up ended, Bajaj continued, and Piaggio then had a tie-up with LML giving LML newer technology. A combination that could still not match up to Bajaj.

I went to India government's patent info site, Govt. of India NIC's Patent website and entered 195904, I am told that the patent does not exist.

@Zappo patents are granted for inventions. "Designs" are granted registrations - like design of the headlamp, suitcase, pen, etc. A method of getting ink into the nib in a pen, is the kind of thing which gets patent. Design of the steering wheel is another thing which gets registered. The erstwhile Bajaj tempo were sued by Tatas for copyihg the curved two spoke design of steering wheel of Tata buses.

Here is a gem I stumbled upon:-

<quote>

SN : 26PN : CN2583369KD : UPB : Oct 29, 2003IN :CHENG TIESHI;JING LISHAN;LU RUIJUNAP :HUAYUAN LAIDONG INTERNAL COMBAN :CN 200202002270376 Oct 23, 2002IP : F02B0610006TI :Six-gear system for internal combustion engineCA :
PR :CN20022002270376 Oct 23, 2002FP :
</quote>

Do not ask me what the two letter abbreviations are.

Going by the news paper reports, Bajaj's claims, seem to be a trivial innovation, and if this indeed a trivial claim, the patent may be annulled. But then, I am neither a lawyer nor an engineer, and I have not read the patents.

Some interesting qoutes-
TVS- Bajaj on the patent they hold- Bajaj on what TVS did wrong- (Sources- The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Business
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2330168.cms)

Doesnt it really come down to using two plugs per cylinder? What is unique (wrt Bajaj) about it?

This is getting interesting..
Source: IP Row: TVS may sue Bajaj for Rs 250cr

IP Row: TVS may sue Bajaj for Rs 250cr

BS Reporter / Chennai September 3, 2007



TVS Motor Company, on Sunday, said it would file a suit for damages of Rs 250 crore against Bajaj Auto if the latter does not withdraw its malicious allegations that the company infringed upon its IP rights.

"TVS Motor is surprised at the wild and irresponsible allegations made by Bajaj Auto accusing TVS Motor Company of breaching their patent rights. The accusation is a malicious attempt to tarnish the fair name of a corporate that belongs to TVS group, which has consistently maintained the highest standards of ethics in business," the company said in a statement.

That the allegation of Bajaj Auto is ridiculous can be established by their own admission that the invention in issue, namely the application of twin spark plug is a known technology extensively in use all over the world for several decades, and therefore in patent law a known prior art, TVS pointed out.

The patent that Bajaj claims is not for the use of twin spark plug technology per se but for the use of the two spark plug in a two valve IC engine with a detachably fixed sleeve. The company said an application for revocation has already been filed based on settled case law on the subject against the patent. In any event, the use of twin spark plug technology by TVS Motor does not infringe the above patent against which revocation proceedings are initiated.

In the circumstances and view of the malicious allegation made with the motive to damage our reputation, TVS Motor Company has been advised to initiate action for libel against Bajaj Auto.
"TVS Motor Company, therefore, has advised its lawyers to put Bajaj Auto on notice that unless the malicious allegations are withdrawn and regrets expressed to file a suit for damages of Rs 250 crore," the statement added.

This action does not preclude TVS Motor from initiating other action as the law may permit including criminal action against officials of Bajaj Auto who used libellous language against TVS Motor.

Guys just generally if we forget the Bajaj and TVS tell me your views on "Isn't Patent on any technology(or something else) more harmful than good".

It can create monoply in the market for a particular manufaturer!! Imagine if everything that we use today starts getting patented what would it be like.

it is an incentive to spend enormous amounts of money and effort in the hope of inventing something. without this incentive, no company will have R&D budget.