In the process of the rise of China's automobile industry, the debate about plagiarism and copycats is endless, whether it is the beautiful Baoshitai or the double ring that is jokingly called "five-fold Audi", it has been ridiculed as the "Kang Shuaibo" of the automobile circle, and even the ridiculous title of "X Thai Leather Ruler". In a word, The Chinese car companies that started late are the most adept at taking it, and a number of foreign big names are often the bitter owners of appealing and defending their rights, but recently the plot has reversed -
On the morning of January 20, Gaohe Automobile released a "Statement on Trademark Protection" through its official platform, mentioning that the two figurative trademarks applied by Renault automobile in the European Union and some countries are highly similar to the graphic trademarks of Gaohe Automobile, which has obtained design patents in major markets around the world. Although the statement did not explicitly mention the other party's alleged infringement, Gaohe Automobile and its parent company, Huaren Express, said that they would "protect their rights and interests through all appropriate legal remedies", as well as a number of detailed statements, which were enough for the melon-eating masses to understand who was Li Kui and who was Li Ghost.
The full text of the statement is as follows:
Recently, Gaohe Automobile Sales service Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Gaohe Automobile") received inquiries from users and the media about Renault Automobile's use of the new trademark, and hereby issued this statement.
In August 2018, The parent company of Gaohe Automobile, Huaren Express Holdings (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Huaren Express"), registered a protected graphic trademark (hereinafter referred to as the "HiPhi Icon") in major global markets (including the European Union), incorporating the HiPhi icon into the design of many automotive products and applying for global patent layout protection; Gaohe Automobile has obtained authorization from Huaren Express to use these trademarks.
"HiPhi Icon"
Renault S.A.S. applied for two figurative trademarks (hereinafter referred to as "Renault Icon") in the European Union and China, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Brazil, Russia and other countries since January 2021, and applied for a patent for the appearance of the vehicle containing the Renault icon in China in June 2021, and has used the Renault icon on its official website, auto show and other occasions.
"Renault Icon"
Gaohe Automobile believes that the Similarity between the Renault icon and the HiPhi icon (especially in the case of rotating parts and different angles of observation) has brought certain uncertainties to the brand development of Gaohe Automobile and the ongoing Business Expansion Plan in Europe.
In October 2021, after sending a lawyer's letter to the author of a no-show, Huaren Express obtained a provisional injunction from a German court upon application; Renault Deutschland AG was asked to suspend the use of the Renault icon in Germany. The parties are currently in the midst of routine court hearings, trademark oppositions and cancellation proceedings. When the conditions are ripe, Huaren Express and Gaohe Automobile will disclose the results of relevant legal procedures to Volkswagen.
This statement aims to state the facts related to the use of the trademark between the two parties, avoid confusion among Gaohe Automobile users and investors about the similarity of the brand, and does not make any judgment or implication on whether there is infringement; Huaren Express and Gaohe Automobile will protect their rights and interests through all appropriate legal remedies, and will follow and respect the relevant effective rulings.
"We safeguard our own rights and interests, and our actions are decisive! The attitude is resolute! When forwarding the statement, Guo Tiefu, director of marketing communications at Gaohe Automobile, said. It is reported that Gaohe HiPhi is a luxury intelligent pure electric brand under Huaren Express, released on July 31, 2019, and on the same day, the world's first mass-produced stereotyped car Gaohe HiPhi1 was launched, and in September of the following year, it launched the "world's first evolvable coupe SUV" Gaohe HiPhiX; and Renault Automobile is a world-famous car company born in 1898 and headquartered in France. One is a new force in car-making, the other is a century-old cannon, or because of this trademark dispute, it has been pushed to the forefront of public opinion, how will the follow-up of the incident develop? Upstream News Auto Channel will continue to follow.