[Commons-Law] BAJAJ TO TAKE ON CHINA’S COPYRIGHT VIOLATORS

[Prashant Iyengar]

Some interesting news from a few days ago.
Regards,
Prashant

BAJAJ TO TAKE ON CHINA’S COPYRIGHT VIOLATORS
Source: The Financial Express

In the first instance of India Inc taking on China for copyright violations, 
the Rs 5,600 crore Bajaj Auto has initiated investigation of design 
infringements by Chinese manufacturers of its three-wheelers and Pulsar 
motorcycles. It has also kept the government in the loop to simultaneously 
take up the issue at the appropriate forum.

When contacted, Sanjiv Bajaj, executive director, Bajaj Auto told FE, �We are 
currently looking at the legal possibilities of the situation. Certain 
Chinese manufacturers are copying our three-wheelers. We have also come 
across Pulsar look-alikes in Iran, imported from China.�

In a letter to the ministries of commerce and heavy industry, the company has 
said Chinese manufacturers were copying designs of Bajaj models and exporting 
them to Latin America. Government officials said the Patent Office in Mumbai 
under the department of industrial policy and promotion is investigating the 
matter. �We will take up the matter with international bodies like the World 
Intellectual Property Organisation and the World Trade Organisation,� said an 
official.

In fact, the Confederation of Indian Industry has already picked similar 
issues with its Chinese counterpart. CII president Sunil Kant Munjal had 
earlier told FE that several copyright infringement issues were brought to 
the notice of CII by its members.

�We deal with the industry chambers there rather than with the government,� he 
said, refusing to go into the details of individual instances.

Though this may be a first for an Indian manufacturer, China is known to be a 
hotbed of counterfeit products ranging from cigarettes to cars. Honda Motor 
Corp has filed around 67 cases against 11 Chinese companies for copyright 
violation of everything from its CR-V sports utility vehicles to motorcycles. 
GM has gone to court against Chery Automotive for ripping off the Chevrolet 
Spark (the erstwhile Daewoo Matiz) design. A DaimlerChrysler? report 
estimates 30% of automotive markets in China, Taiwan and Korea has been 
captured by fakes. 


http://www.nalsartech.org/tiki/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=2591