Bus company drives off with design damages in China
01 March 2009
Managing Intellectual Property
German bus maker Neoplan has won a landmark case after two Chinese companies were found to have copied the design of its buses
In one of the biggest design patent infringement cases since China joined the WTO in 2001, the company won damages of Rmb 21.16 million ($3 million) against the Chinese rivals for copying its Starliner bus design.
The Beijing Number 1 Intermediate Court made the decision on January 14 after a two-year legal battle.
"The verdict shows that our faith in the Chinese legal system was warranted and that industrial property rights are taken seriously in China." said Stefan Straub, spokesperson for MAN, the parent company of Neoplan.
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| Zonda's A9 |
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| Neoplan's Starliner |
The court issued a press release stating that the alleged infringer, Zhongwei Bus & Coach Group, and its parent company Zonda Industrial Group failed to prove that they had independently created its A9 model bus or that they possess a prior right to use it even though the company had obtained a design patent for the bus.
The court...
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