Chinese automobile enterprise in the United Kingdom has won the MG trademark infringement lawsuit
The reporter has from the Nanjing Automobile Group learned that the British High Court recently ruled, MG trademarks and logos owned by Nanjing Automobile Group, has all rights, and ordered the other British companies to stop using the trademark. This means that Nanjing Auto won the first lawsuit in the United Kingdom, but also this is the first time a domestic automobile enterprises has won a foreign intellectual property lawsuits.
This case was from 5 years ago. June 6, 2005, Nanjing Auto Group's decision to acquire bankrupt British MG Rover's assets, all of the static. In July 2006 as a whole acquisition of the two sides signed an agreement to acquire the contents of the MG Rover company, including welding line, painting line, assembly line, engine transmission plant production equipment and a research and development center, in addition to suppliers in the hands of All products molds, MG brand and MG-ZR (with a total of Rover 25 platform), MG - ZS (Rover 45 with a total of platform), MG-ZT (Rover 75 with a total of platform), MG-TF four production lines All intellectual property rights.
MG trademarks are the United Kingdom has more than 80 years-old brand, the acquisition agreement was signed after the NAC addition to some of the equipment back to Nanjing, the reserves located in Birmingham, England's MG Rover Longbridge factory, and in May 2007 to resume production .
Steam in the South are busy on the restructuring of MG Rover, when there was also fighting the British MG brand idea. According to the United Kingdom, "China Daily" report, January 29, 2007, an Englishman named William Riley established the MG Sports and Racing European companies. The company in April 2008 suddenly announced it has produced the new MG X-Power WR sports car.
The company claims that they have the right to use the MG logo. They introduced similar sports car with the older, each priced 75000-90000 pounds. The company plans to hire 150-200 people, monthly production 6. But the MG Sports and Racing Europe since the second half of 2008 had been no reproduction of cars, the company owner William Riley has a bunch of lawsuits waiting for him.
NAC UK companies relevant person in charge, they've been talking about the British manufacturing base, in fact, no formal production line, but this person frequently in the media dissemination of information and confusing concepts, such behavior of the MG brand damage image.
It is understood, William Riley did not take the initiative on the trademark issues with the NAC to communicate desperation, in September 2008, Nanjing Auto activists began a long history of litigation.
"We are all for the first time to the British courts, but also a taste of the British legal system is tight, the whole court case lasted a year and a half, this is the car the first time enterprises encounter outside of intellectual property litigation, there is no ready-made experience for reference, We have done a lot of work, the results won, shows that the British law is still very fair. "NAC relevant British company official said. This lawsuit went to the High Court, Southern steam invited the lawyers to appear costly, "as compared with domestic costs is not an order of magnitude." As a rule, the losing party to bear all or most of the expenses.
February 19, the British High Court judge ruled that Nanjing Auto bought the MG had been in 2005, the trademarks and logos of the right, he ordered the MG Sports and Racing Europe Ltd to stop using the MG logo. According to reports, the court only to determine the question of right or wrong, as to whether or not to pay NAC UK companies related to compensation, but also the need for further trials.
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