SHANGHAI—Tata Motors Ltd.’s Jaguar Land Rover suffered a setback in its effort to win a lawsuit against a Chinese auto maker that it says infringed a design patent for its Range Rover Evoque crossover. China’s State Intellectual Property Office has revoked both Jaguar Land Rover’s patent for its Evoque as well as that for Jiangling Motors Co.’s Landwind X7 SUV, according to statements from the patent re-examination board posted...
Increasingly it is becoming tricky for a foreign brands to win a design patent application in China , as Chinese laws now imply they must register the design with the Chinese authority before they start to manufacture the product , regardless of whether the patent is already registered in the country of origin . Previously foreign brands had not minded so much about plagiarism as they considered the Chinese brands too small to pose a threat , however , recent requests from Apple and Samsung to Jaguar Land patents and Honda indicate that they are feeling the impact of the rise of Chinese brands . The WSJ accuses China of turning to patents as ammunition as they try to reel in huge companies : “ We are going to see a lot more Chinese companies acquiring patents outside China , and more lawsuits and lawsuits involving patents and technologies , ” says Allen & Overy 's Benjamin blog . It is particularly difficult for smartphones for example as it can involve thousands of patents .