Chinese carmaker BYD’s offices in Netherlands raided over JLR ‘copycat car’ claim

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) authorities conducted a raid on the Dutch offices of Chinese car manufacturer BYD in August, seizing digital records in anticipation of a legal battle over allegations of intellectual property infringement. The raid, conducted on behalf of JLR, targeted the offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp, according to the Sunday Times, and occurred prior to a scheduled court case in The Hague.

BYD's Ti7 SUV has been compared to JLR's Land Rover Defender, which the company claims is being used without proper authorization. This SUV, slated for launch in the UK market in January at a price of £47,995, is positioned as a more affordable alternative to the Defender, which begins at £68,465. The Defender, one of the UK's best-selling cars, sold 29,500 units to retail customers between July and September, up from 25,370 in the previous year.

JLR suspects that BYD may have reverse-engineered certain technologies to incorporate into the Ti7. The dispute is not the first legal action taken by JLR against a Chinese automaker for alleged copycat practices. In 2019, JLR successfully halted Jiangling Motor Corporation from selling a clone of the Defender after a three-year legal battle.

Historically, JLR has alternated between pursuing legal actions and collaborating with Chinese automakers. In 2012, the two companies formed a joint venture, with JLR licensing its discontinued Freelander brand to Chery. The resulting Chery Jaecoo model, closely resembling JLR's Range Rover, has become the top-selling car in the UK, despite initially being priced £10,000 lower than its JLR counterpart.